The Mighty Queens of Freeville
The Mighty Queens of Freeville: A Mother, A Daughter and the People Who Raised Them
by Amy Dickinson
240 Pages
Memoir
Hyperion (February 3, 2009)
Family relationships, values and friendships have always been important to Amy. While growing up she had especially strong bonds with the females in her life. Now that she is older she wonders if it is a curse or a blessing that all of the important people in her life are women. Even the women in her life, (her mother, most of her sisters, and her friends) can' t seem to hold onto the men in their lives at all. Her father just up and left when she was young, her brother doesn't speak to them, and her aunts (all but one) are divorced. Amy, seeing the doom is decidedly going to break the mold, determined that her marriage will be a success, it will be but not in the way she expects. The fruit of her attempt at marriage gives her a beautiful daughter, which she now gets to raise amongst the Mighty Queens of Freeville.
This is a memoir by Amy Dickinson, the author of the syndicated advice column ASK AMY and also an NPR contributor. The Mighty Queens of Freeville: A Mother, A Daughter and the People Who Raised Them is an interesting read, and I did like it, however I didn't love it. I think if I could have related more I would have enjoyed it more. I grew up with the stronger relationships in my family being male, I have a loving mother, but we just didn't have much in common. My brother was my ultimate soccer buddy, and we always had guy friends, now that I am older I see the value in female friendships, but for a long time I would have chosen a guy over a gal any day. Guys just made more sense to me, they fought it out, played it out and didn't play any manipulation games or talk about their feelings all the time (at least the ones I knew).
Yet, I did enjoy the community in this memoir, I loved reading of their weekly gatherings for breakfast at the same little diner, and their random spur of the moment gatherings which occurred almost daily. I love strong family ties, I think they keep people out of trouble, those who are most connected to loving families seem to know that they are loved and are secure. I found this in the Mighty Queens of Freeville. No matter what happened she had a sense of security that was beyond herself, it was the bonds of the mighty queens, who were always strong enough for the weakest link.
Did you grow up with strong family ties? Do those bonds still secure you in times when nothing else will? Maybe those same bonds at times felt smothering, why do you think that is?
Book Trailer for The Mighty Queens of Freeville:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQhOYcypWlI&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6]
LIFE: The American Journey of Barack Obama
title: LIFE, The American Journey of Barack Obama
editor: Robert Sullivan
pages: 178
publisher: Little, Brown
yearly count b: 83
You can love him, or you can think that he is the anti-christ. This review will not be about political views, I will not debate if he is to bring peace to the universe, or if he is going to be the biggest fraud. This review is about his journey, about Barack as a man, from birth to date. Life, The American Journey of Barack Obama is about the boy who will grow up to live his dream, and to dump out his enthusiasm on America. He was born to an unlikely couple, who did not possess the freedom that we now have, he grew up in Honolulu, California and later Chicago, he attended Harvard. From Harvard on he knew the taste of victory and that politics were his pursuit in life.
His family is more than a part of Obama, he belongs to them as well. In the photos in LIFE, The American Journey of Barack Obama it is obvious that they have more than a superficial bond. They laugh, they dance, they cry and play together, his family is not just a family for presidential events, but in the home as well. I loved seeing the portrayal of him as a man at home with his wife and daughters. The shots of Obama crouched down kissing his kids on the lips, or sharing the joys of his wins. There is something that draws folks into him, and I can see it here. This book does an amazing job of presenting Barack Obama from so many different sides and yet in them all he is a man, a man with a dream.
No matter how you voted you cannot stay that Obama doesn't carry the world in his grasp and the hopes of the nation in his hand. Only time will tell what he can do with that. But what I already can tell you is that his victory, a minority in office, an African American as the future leader of our nation is an accomplishment of which we should all be in awe.
At the end of the book there is a section titled Aspects of Obama in which positive articles are written by different peoples from around the world. LIFE asked 12 thinkers and writers to take a look at the different aspects Obama and to tell the readers what they see. This is a really interesting section of the book, where different people get to speak up. All in all a good book for a Obama believer!!
I would recommend this book for the Obama enthusiast on your Christmas list! It is a beautiful book with full colour photos on almost every page. I loved looking at and reading it. Enjoy!
To all the Obama faithful out there: Do you want a copy? Because of the sweet hachette book group peeps I have an extra to give away. Comment below by the end of the 26th and you will be entered in for a copy of his read. (US and Canada only, no PO boxes...sorry).
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Off the Menu
Title: Off the Menu
Author: Christine Son
Pages: 368
Yearly Count b: 82
Initially I was really excited to read Off the Menu, then while reading the first chapter I wondered what I had gotten myself into, but from then on I was forever captivated. Off the Menu is a deep and satisfying read that was really hard to put down! I thought that I would have to try to work myself into a positive mood to enjoy the book, but it was so much better than that! I love Christine Son's writing, it is endearing, gentle and beautiful. She picks up and leaves off in each chapter with another one of the three valedictorian friends Hercules, Audrey and Whitney that have known each other since high school, and I found myself along for the whole thing. Once I hopped on, Christine did not ever disappoint.
I figured that Off the Menu would be a feminine book about being in love or finding love or something of the sort. I am a stickler for covers, sorry. I it really seems to put Off the Menu under a stereotype that I don't think it belongs in. It is so much more than a romance/ women's novel! It is filled with relationships, endurance, and high expectations placed by the oneself, or the parents, it is so much more than the cover would suggest.So beware that if you have avoided this book because of the cover...you are really missing out.
I will steer clear of generalizations, but the most of the Asian students and youth that I have known growing up do really have to battle between what the expectations their parents place on them, and their own fulfilled or unfulfilled dreams. Even in junior high in Korea kids get up ever earlier than school starts to go to tutoring, and then from that to school, from school they go to a different tutor. I had a roommate in high school that told me that she would get home at 11 pm from studying and then have to be there at 5 am again! I don't know about you, but my junior high days were no where near that complicated. Yes, I know that Americans do have expectations for their children as well, and that is obvious to me too, but not in the same way, to the level of intensity that I have seen it in the Asian and Asian American families that I know. The stakes somehow seem higher, like impossibility is expected, and respect for their parents wishes is the norm (where here it is certainly not). I enjoyed the character portrayals of the different types of women, and how they coped with these pressures in life, the busyness, the side jobs or side dreams, the reality that they were getting old and needed to marry. Each character was equally enticing to me, however I did enjoy Hercules the most but that was because somehow I related to her more than to anyone else.
I am in awe of Christine Son because Off the Menu was so much more than I had ever expected. I really enjoyed all of it (except somehow the first chapter??) and I would recommend it, highly. So it gets my funky award: The Happy Chicken 
enjoy!
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and remember to:
Off the Menu TLC reviews and interviews:
Estella’s Revenge e-zine (author interview)
Literarily (author guest post and giveaway!)
Beastmomma (author interview)
Book Nut
Ramya’s Bookshelf
Ramya’s Bookshelf (author interview)
Pop Culture Junkie
8Asians
Savvy Verse and Wit
In The Pages
She is Too Fond of Books
Planet Books
B&b ex Libris
The remaining TLC stops:
Wednesday, November 19th: DISGRASIAN
Thursday, November 20th: Booking Mama
Monday, November 24th: The Literate Housewife Review
Tuesday, November 25th: Feminist Review
Wednesday, November 26th: Diary of an Eccentric
the front porch prophet
Author: Raymond L. Atkins
Pages: 308
Publisher: Medallion Press
Seemingly appearing from nowhere, a man named Raymond Atkins has decided to write and publish his first novel, entitled The Front Porch Prophet. Readers everywhere should be rejoicing at this fact. If Mr. Atkins' second book is anywhere near as good as his first, and if he continues to write novels, then these same readers should be dancing in the streets.
This is an absolutely wonderful novel. Period. It is so wildly humorous, so unrealistic and so down-to-earth at the same time, so gosh darn in-your-face enjoyable, I am afraid that the next few books I read are destined to pale in comparison.
The story centers on two life-long friends and half-brothers, A.J. Longstreet and Eugene Purdue, who live in Sequoya, Georgia. A.J. is a devoted husband, father of three, mill supervisor and all around responsible guy. Eugene lives alone in a school bus in the mountains, bootlegs alcohol, and throws hand grenades off his front porch for fun.
He is also dying of cancer, and due to the fact that Eugene has alienated just about everyone else in his life, it falls to A.J. to take care of him.
What follows is a hilarious, wild, heartbreaking, breathtaking story of a deep friendship between two men and the southern town that raised them. That's right - this is a book about a man dying of cancer, and it is laugh-out-loud hilarious. This also means that the book is more than a little off-color and not even close to politically correct. I get the feeling that Atkins would not have written an honest novel if it were any other way.
Imagine that Garrison Keillor has stopped mixing Prozac in his coffee and has instead started getting into raw southern whiskey and bourbon. This will give you an impression of Atkins' writing style. He swings for the fence in everything he does, filling his pages with raucous humor, razor sharp dialogue, and truly touching insights into the human soul.
Here is the highest compliment I can pay this book: it carries a message about God and His role in human affairs that I adamantly disagree with. And yet, I can say with no reservation that this is my favorite book I have read all year. Atkins writes with a perspective on life that is very, very different from my own - but he does it with such honesty, such gusto, such pure outright talent, that I can only say, "Please, keep the novels coming."
Have you read and reviewed this book??? Leave a comment with your link!!
Other blogger reviews:
BLOG.LITERARILY.COM
Book Zombie
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The Glass Castle
Title: The Glass Castle
Author: Jeannette Walls
Pages: 304
Yearly Count: 51
Children either grow up because of their parents or almost in spite of them, either way the years still pass and little kids who are cared for or pretty much neglected become adults. Jeannette Walls wrote her story in The Glass Castle and I can say that so far this year it is my top pick, no doubt about it. Jeannette grew up with an alcoholic dad, who made too many broken promises and a mother who thought working was giving up on her dream to become an artist. So they lived in willful poverty. Jeannette had three siblings and life was not easy. The dreams of their parents never seemed to materialize into anything that could get them enough food, a warm house or clothes. As much as it would have been daunting, even more than I care to know, to grow up hungry, cold, and neglected, Jeannette speaks in an honest voice and she never seemed to loving her mother and father. The Glass Castle is an incredible memoir of a life, and more importantly of perseverance, dreams and the heart to see things through.
The honesty of The Glass Castle is what rang the clearest, the voice of a girl while not enjoying her childhood the way it could (should) have been enjoyed, she made the best of it. A childhood filled with rotten food, the digging in the school's bathroom trash for leftover lunches, but what a woman those circumstances made! There is a conscious choice Jeannette makes over and over to try and believe that her parents have their best interests in mind, that they are trying, that they will make it, a choice to live on.
The writing is so beautiful. The voice is of a girl, now woman that is so strong, so stunning and yet so openly vulnerable that the reader feels completely engulfed in her life and in the outcome. I marvel, I have not been impressed like this for a while. If all I could do would be to tell any slightly interested reader:"Even if you don't think you'll like it, this is a must read!!! " That would be exactly what I would say. I hope you'll give it a try if you haven't, I didn't think I'd like it, since I usually have a hard time with non-fiction, it seems boring and slow, this was nothing like that...just pure beauty.
I wish I had a chance to talk to Jeannette Walls...anyone have any info?
Have you reviewed The Glass Castle? Put your link in a comment and I'll put it here.
SmallWorld Reads
Library Queue
The Book Nest
Enjoy this book trailer for The Glass Castle:
The Vanishing Moon
Title: The Vanishing Moon
Author: Joseph Coulson
Pages: 330
Yearly Count: 42
(5 for july blowout)
I know that a book is extremely well written when I have no interest in the subject matter prior to picking up the book, but as soon as I read the first page the author grips me. The Vanishing Moon is a novel of individuals and their effects on each other. The choices that are made cause all of those close by to suffer or enjoy depending on the choice. I loved this book. The writing is superb. Joseph Coulson puts together words to make sentences that poor the feeling onto the pages so that the reader can slurp it all up. Coulson is incredible, this is his first novel, and I am a true believer!
The Vanishing Moon is about one family, the Tollmans, and those they come in contact with over three generations. Spanning from the time of the Depression and World War to the times of hippies and the Vietnam War. Stephen, the middle brother is the main protagonist. So much happens in this book, and I'd hate to give anything away, but know this: life does not take it easy on the Tollmans, but their resiliency should astonish anyone. This is a story of suffering, pride, family ties (and the lack of them), love, love lost and most of all personal battles and their effects on their family.
The character development is the major punch in this one, and that is how it should be (according to me).Each person is defined and described, so that the reader truly feels completely connected. It really amazed me that Coulson really told a story, a well developed, deep tale that, I believe, will not be overlooked. Anyone can write about what I am interested in, and since I already care I am motivated to read it. But to introduce me to something that I didn't know I cared about until Coulson wrote it, that shows talent. This book was meant to be a classic, really it is that good. The Vanishing Moon, by Joseph Coulson comes with my highest recommendation. I loved it.
the creative family by Amanda Blake Soule
*edit!: I completely forgot to give you all her blog, she does a pretty much daily blog that you will love...the pictures are incredible: soule mama 
Title the creative family
Author: Amanda Blake Soule
Pages: 212
Rated: 5/5
Yearly Count: 13
This book is pure, unadulterated creative dynamite! I wanted to review this book knowing that I would enjoy it, but I had no idea to what extent it would challenge my family and I. Amanda and the rest of the Soule family do an excellent job in this book of inspiring creativity, of living artfully and of helping other families reach their creative potential as well. Last night, after reading a little over half of the book throughout the day, I could not sleep for hours (and I usually have no problem) but my mind was stewing, in hard-core overdrive imagining all the fun things we can do together as a family, thinking of all the neat projects that my two little boys are old enough to do now that are in this book!
Some of the exciting projects include little hands learning to felt, sew, make stuffed art, knit, and embroider. Other projects that stood out to me were family drawing time, making traditions, handmade holidays, art placemats, and "craftivisim" . If you have thought about the level of creativity in your house, and desire it to ebb and flow out of all of you and yours, The Creative Family by Amanda Blake will be a sweet dream that can be your new reality, an amazing place that after you have entered you'll know you just gotta stay. The best thing is that kids are drawn to create and it need not be something you are apprehensive about, take it from Soule, she believes that, " as human beings, we are all born with the ability, the desire, the passion, and the drive to be creative. We may become anxious about "teaching" creativity to our children, but there is really no need for us to teach. They know how to be creative. The know it with every ounce of their being- it isn't conscious or rational. It is simply who they are. Until somethings stands in their way [...]they will be creative" (p. 13).
Consider me inspired: Yesterday I set up an inspiration wire (p. 21), and several times I noticed my little one checking out his art on the wall with intense pride. I went out and found some things that our art cabinet (dresser)(p. 25) was in need of, and I was dying to do the projects in the book. Today, after reading the section on letting your kids use good quality things I (must admit reluctantly) let my four-year-old paint with my paint brushes...the results were just beautiful, let me tell you that next time I will not hesitate, he can use my brush! This weekend we are going to do the freezer-paper stenciling (p. 74) after I find the shirts we need, and because our "inspiration wire" is already way too full I am going to put together some sturdy art clips (p. 83) up at some point in the near future. The project that I am incredibly excited about though, and have already been eyeing materials for is the incredible "Banging Wall" (p. 197) I cannot wait to get that up in our backyard! Those are the projects that have inspired me, since yesterday...and there are many more in this book waiting to be used as well.
One of my favourite aspects of this book is the desire to bless others with your art, for whom you want to express love or care for. Here is an especially great quote on just that, Soule says, " Living a creative live is made all the more fulfilling and rewarding when we are creating with, for or because of others. Much creative drive is certainly internally driven, but there is such benefit to creating beyond ourselves, beyond our family, and beyond our homes, for our community and the world around us. Connecting with and creating with others can be a powerful and inspiring act, as well as a wonderful gift for our children, teaching them how to connect and share their own passions with others" (p. 191). It is beautiful to allow art to not only influence your family, but to impact those around you as well. Kids and parents alike learn life lessons from such acts.
This is one of those books that come around very much too infrequently that you would like to buy 100 of and give one to all your friends because you know they would love it too...but then you do the calculations and realize that would not go over too well with family budgeting. No, seriously I will buy this book for several of my close friends who I know will love it just as much as me, and to all the rest of my friends who would also love it just as much I will give it the highest recommendations possible. All I can say, if you believe in creativity, or would like to start...buy this book and you will want all your friends to buy it too!
The Creative Family by Amanda Blake Soule
Available on April 1st
