Ruyi's World of Books & Stories

  Turtle Soup is Enough Did you know that the fluid in your spinal cord is the same color as lemonade?  I sat and watched it drip from my little brother's limp body into a medical bag on his bedside, as one of his surgeons told us the news that nearly shredded my faith to chaff. "This kid will never walk again." These essays were written during the worst year of my life. I wrote them for one of my college classes, answering various prompts on the theme of place. I didn't know at the time that I was chronicling a fight for my existence. My family and faith have never been about fitting in. We don’t believe in God because of what they say at church. We see him in the mud that cakes our jeans and the laughter we share around the campfire, drinking beer and listening to the grisly stories our dad brings home from the ER. Our faith in God has never been about propriety; it’s been about relationship. How can you reconcile that kind of faith when it seems like God st...

  The Mysterious Happenings on  Hyde Avenue: The Lair of the Incubus  There’s nowhere to hide. In this heart-pounding, irreverent sequel to  The Mysterious Happenings at 2 Morning view , high schooler Justin, his two best friends, and a cast of unforgettable offbeat characters desperately try to defeat a horrific supernatural being, close the portal to its demonic world, and save Justin’s family from eternal damnation. ______________________________________________________________ “Jason Yachanin’s  The Mysterious Happenings at 2 Morning view , and sequel,  The Mysterious Happenings on Hyde Avenue: The Lair of the Incubus,  were both so entertaining I didn’t want to put them down once I started reading! If you are a fan of the supernatural, 90s nostalgia, and comedic mysteries, then I highly recommend Yachanin’s work. Did someone say a future TROMA film?” – Lloyd Kaufman, President of TROMA Entertainment, Creator of  The Toxic Avenger “Y...

  mary synder| First Assignment CIA analyst Alex Everett wasn't expecting to uncover the compelling facts he stumbled upon during a  covert assignment . But he quickly learned that his superiors weren't expecting it either-they had assigned Alex to lead the investigation into the triple murder because he had little field experience. And they counted on that inexperience to keep him from uncovering what really happened.  With his CIA bosses' access to the most sophisticated technology in the world, Alex attempts to hide his discoveries from them.  He struggles to fit the pieces together-a tortured Marine in the Middle East, an egotistical conservative U.S. president, a senator with a dirty little secret, enormous amounts of laundered money, and the CIA stalking one of their most experienced agents. The more Alex uncovers, the more certain he is who is ultimately responsible, but  clear incriminating evidence is elusive .  The twists and turns in this espiona...

Books are Fundamental  to our Existence and Survival.   Make reading your habit.  Your journey starts here. SERIAL BLOGGER BOB SCOTT "Frank had been able to relax a little after replacing the board, securing himself in his safe house. He headed towards the office he used as home, and looked forward to something to eat and a good nights sleep. But halfway there some instinct alerted him that all was not right, and he started to turn and look behind him. As Frank turned, the killer plunged the Bowie-style knife deep into the bums exposed back, driving the razor sharp blade hard through the tough skin, flesh, muscle and organs until it stopped against the spine. Frank was already automatically arching his back to try and escape the agony, and a scream was rising from his throat before the killers left hand clamped over his mouth to choke it off." There is a killer stalking Claytown, brutally and savagely attacking his victims. Wil...

Each time the issue of racism is mentioned,  tensions immediately run high, reason is thrown out the window, and emotional outbursts run rampant. Even though a lot of effort has been done to fight it, the devastating consequences continue to this day. The heart of this book is focused on the key elements that make racism possible and how to starve the lifeblood to these key elements and eradicate them from the root. Since racism is based on the faulty notion that one race is superior to another, you need somebody who believes that they are superior and another person who believes that they are inferior. When these two people interact, the outcome will reflect what they believe about themselves and their circumstances. This may sound too simplistic, but it is one of the major drivers of racism. In addition to superiority and inferiority beliefs, acts of impunity and unforgiveness are the other drivers. You have those that believe they are superior, and in their zeal to impose thei...

A good book is like a diamond mine that never runs out. It is priceless. Successful authors have mastered the art of carrying their readers along. This art is endearing. It leaves the reader yearning for more.   In David Ellison’s book, “Rambling on Borrowed Time”, I found happiness. It was hard to drop. We learn new tricks every single day. The book is what you expect from a brilliant teacher who has spent several years inspiring people.   During his thirty-six-year career, David Ellison was a teacher, mentor teacher, school administrator, education columnist and community activist. He worked in schools foreign and domestic, public and private, grades four through college.   His treks through five continents included volunteering in far-flung villages, and surviving harrowing adventures. He served as the New Haven Unified and the American Council of School Administrators Region VI Teacher of the Year in 1996. Now retired, Ellison reads, writes, hikes, kayaks,...