Testimony
Title: Testimony
Author: Anita Shreve
Pages: 320
Yearly Count b: 87
The story is a hard one to read, that of sexual acts between teens and a minor in a drunken state. It all seems to private to really write or read about in the detail to which Shreve goes. Silas, the main man, a quality kid, a basketball player and someone who has so much going for him ends up in a situation where he put himself yes, but why? The journey through Anita Shreve's Testimony brings out the voice of each person involved and to what capacity they are invested in the situation. Each character has an intensely strong voice, a voice of their own as if they really all are truly individuals not working together in the head of Anita Shreve onto the paper. I was carried away, by her story, her plot and the depth of her characters. I can honestly say that I had to be, if I weren't I would not have finished this book, I wouldn't have started it.
Several times I decided to stop reading, but like a drug it sucked me in. I can say that knowing the end and the point of the author, that I am content. Anita strives to describe the implications that one day can have on the lives of so many and to what extreme one act can affect the surrounding individuals. I agree, I also really had to consider the power of choice in reading Testimony.Each individual is given choices, and how they act on those choices will affect the people around them in a positive or negative way, Anita portrays that to an amazing perfection.
What really made me think after finishing this was how when the whole scandalous situation first arose I immediately judged those involved, and I have to believe Anita did that purposefully. I was angry at them all. As the book went on, the situation rehearsed from each different person and they described the impact it had had on them, I felt differently, not entirely, but a little. I have noticed that in real life too, I can hate someone, but if I try to get to know them, try to befriend them I soon realize why they are the way they are and I can't help but understanding them a little better. What I got from Shreve's book is really that we are all capable of going off the deep end, and that it is much easier than you'd expect , especially if you don't surround yourself by people who will push you up rather than push you down.
I have to tell you that after I am done with it I did really feel and still feel impacted by it, I was glued to the words as they were read, but still because of its sexual content I have a hard time giving it my full blessing. If you don't think you'll have any problem with that, GO FOR IT! It will be well worth it, but if you have a check about that sort of thing, I will tell you it does get a bit better after the first chapter, but still the entire book does revolve around that one act and therefore it is rehashed.
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Have you read this? Comment your link to me 
I'll add you.
Roads To Quoz: An American Mosey
Title: Roads To Quoz: An American Mosey
Author:William Least Heat-Moon
Pages:582
Publisher:Little, Brown
Quoz (rhymes with "oz"): "Anything, anywhere, living or otherwise, connecting a human to existence and bringing an individual into the cosmos and integrating one with the immemorial, thereby making each life belong to creation, and so preventing the divorce of one from the all which brought it into being."
Working from the above definition, William Least Heat-Moon's latest book is a collection of writings about his search for quoz on several unique road trips around America. From the logging roads of north Maine to the Gulf of Mexico, Heat-Moon turns his knack for getting off the beaten path into an interesting and thought provoking string of loosely bound stories.
I have to make a confession here: two years ago I started reading Heat-Moon's most famous book, Blue Highways, and I stopped a fourth of the way into it. I wasn't prepared for his very unconventional prose style, which thrives on sticking its tongue out at brevity and clarity. Heat-Moon is not so concerned with making sure that you're able to follow him every step of the way, but instead enjoys weaving together long, intricate sentences full of word play and nuance.If you're unable to fully grasp the meaning of the the paragraph you just read, he trusts that you'll be able to rejoin him in the next.
Here's a sample sentence from Quoz that I think captures the idea. Heat-Moon is writing about driving into the Ouchita mountains in Arkansas: "In years past, I've always come into that planetary washboard athwart, and on two of those occasions I've had to stop along one of the twisting, transverse routes for a passenger to leave her breakfast along the roadsides for the possums, a consequence of transit not unlike sailing a short sea." Translation: his wife usually throws up when they drive the windy mountain roads.
While I was unprepared for Heat-Moon's style when I first picked up Blue Highways, I knew what was getting into when I started Qouz. As a consequence, I spent several pleasant evenings totally absorbed in the book - not just in the fantastic travel yarns, but in the smoky, rambling way that Heat-Moon tells them.
Most of the stories center on Heat-Moon's quest for interesting people and places in the less-visited areas of America. Some of them he purposefully tracks down - such as a woman who intentionally lives on $4.00 a day - and some of them he stumbles on by accident - such a muralist who has created a psychedelic museum in his home. All of them are worth reading about. A central theme of the book, also worth considering, is how we as Americans continue to adapt to our landscape - both successfully and unsuccessfully. Heat-Moons scorns a town built on top of ancient Native American burial mounds and celebrates a man who uses discarded grain bins to build a restaurant.
My only complaint with with Qouz has to do with Heat-Moon's apparent inability to see the world from other's point of a view. He is a writer with plenty of money travelling at his own leisure. This leaves him vast amounts of free time to critique the people and lifestyles that he encounters along the way. He seems to be a bit trapped in his own dreamy world, and anyone trying to work at a normal job for a living is hopelessly lost. One example: during an extended ride on a boat travelling the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, Heat-Moons notices the irritated faces of drivers along the bank who have to wait for a drawn bridge while his boat passes. He spends a paragraph reflecting how these people must be drained of life, unable to appreciate the beauty of a boat sailing gently through the water on its way to an unknown destination. The fact that these people are just trying to get home from work to their families doesn't seem to register with him.
Despite this one aspect, I found Qouz to be a very satisfying read, full of great stories from a great storyteller. Heat-Moon's unique writing style raises it well above the level of average travel literature.
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I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence
title: I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence
author: Amy Sedaris
pages: 304
yearly count b: 85
A hospitality book like nothing else I have seen, it is the funniest book I have read in ages, filled with so much stuff that each time you open it you'll swear that page wasn't there before. I Like You by Amy Sedaris will have you laughing and cringing at the same time. A cookbook, manner book, and how-to-entertain book that will put you over the top with laughter at the silly layouts, funny Amy and all the things she is capable of.
I Like you is a book glorifying all things tacky, outdated and ridiculous, but it is much more as well. The recipes, the photos and all the writing Amy does is amazing, she is one insanely talented comedian. Yes, Amy Sedaris is David Sedaris' sister, that is crazy to me that they both are so funny I wonder if their parents slipped a little something special in their water to make them funnier than the average person, much funnier.
I have to warn you if you think some things just shouldn't be discussed, much less discussed in a manners book, this is not your book. At times it is pretty vulgar and over the edge. That didn't really bother me, it was too funny for me to worry about if it was inappropriate, which it is. However consider yourself warned that if you take yourself too seriously, if you get offended and are squeamish: avoid this book and pick up something else. If you are not in those categories, give it a shot! Warning tough, it is insanely addictive.
I think many folks could enjoy this book, snatch it up and I dare you not to laugh your guts out reading it!
Want this book for yourself? The publisher has offered a copy to my luckiest commenter. Comment on this post for a chance to win. You have until the end of the 30th to enter. I do apologize, the publisher is sending these directly and will only ship to US addresses and no PO boxes.
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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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Holidays On Ice
Title: Holidays On Ice
Author: David Sedaris
Pages: 176
Yearly Count b: 80
David Sedaris amuses and challenges his readers with a seasonal delight. I am sure this will become a classic, unless it already is and I didn't even know, as I am generally out of the loop! Each of the 12 short stories has punch of humor and truth as well as fantastically exceptional writing.
There are two of the stories that spoke to me personally, and that I really, really loved. The first is SantaLand Diaries, the tale of a elf, who has many more opinions than she is paid for, and so much insight into the typical holiday portraits taken with Santa that you will laugh till you ache. SantaLand Diaries is so real, so honest, and just so interesting to read.
Christmas Means Giving was my other fave. It is a story of two horridly wealthy families in an attempt to out do each other, at the expense of everything except their most valued possession- their image. The extremes they go to are haunting, and even seriously eye-opening. Sedaris puts out a warning, a warning of what giving should never be about, and yet to a slight degree most of the time it is. This was an incredible story.
All the stories were amazing, really. I can give this my full recommendation. Sedaris is an expert storyteller, but not only that, he is a realist with a touch of pessimism which is for some reason not a turn off, but a refreshing voice to hear. I enjoy his humor that is almost a mocking of things that are held dear, but not to tear them up but to help the reader see the negative aspects and to get rid of them. A stunningly funny and sincere read, exactly what we need during the holidays.
I didn't even notice that the cover was funny until after I had finished the book, but it is....look up at the top of the post and let me know what you see that is funny. I like that you wouldn't even notice until you think to look. The one below is really good too!
This is a great book to pick up for the holidays...let me know what you think of it!
Congrats peeps :)
These five lucky duckies won Lost and Found!!
bermudaonion
Janel
Diary of an Eccentric
Sandra
avisannschild
These ducky luckies won Life After Genius:
softdrink
raidergirl3
Email me your addresses (by clicking on the "email me" tab below my header) and I will get them to the publicists at Hachette Book Group.
I do not email winners, so if someone in this group does not check back within 3 days I will re-gift the book! Hurry, hurry!
Congrats to you all...happy reading!!!
Life After Genius
Title: Life After Genius
Author: M. Ann Jacoby
Pages: 401
Yearly Count b: 77
A brilliant first novel by M. Ann Jacoby. The portrayal of a lovable genius, Mead. Life After Genius is a mystery and thriller all at the same time. Mead, a genius in math and the sciences but finds his personal life quite lacking. He does not understand his parents, and they don't seem to understand him either. Mead has never had a best friend until Herman comes along in college. Is his friendship worth what Herman is asking of him? Mead can't help but get sucked into the trap over and over because he wants to believe he has a close friend, and Herman is as close as he has ever gotten to what is known as 'best friend'.
Through twists and turns Mead finds himself at home, running away from something, just a week before he is to graduate. The rest of the book leads the reader up to the reasons Mead would give his dreams up, and flee for home which is what he was trying to get away from for his whole life. Life After Genius is an exceptional portrayal of a misunderstood, and slightly (or immensely) taken advantage of genius. Everyone has their dreams for Mead, their goals he should reach but will his lack of social skills, and intuition be enabling or will that be his downfall?
I really liked it. I loved the quirky genius that Mead is, and how he relates (or doesn't relate) to life. I found myself wondering about him, about how he felt, and if he would make it. For most of the book you want to strangle everyone he comes into contact with, his mom, his uncle, his classmates, and especially Herman. Yet, Mead is such a lovable guy that this is not a downer of a book at all. It is like he is in a different space and time than everyone else around him, but is still affected by their treatment of him.
In an effort to just give this to one of my readers and not to just anyone, I am trying a new giveaway system, not so in your face, let me know what you think:
Want to win this? Comment by midnight on the 6th to enter.
I wish I could send it to any of you, but I am not sending it, the publisher is and they say: only US and Canada residents, and no P.O Boxes. I am sorry....I was an ex-pat at one point too.
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LIFE AFTER GENIUS
You might think that is normal, not to go back and visit your high school teacher, but I went to boarding school, and it is really close to where I live. He was my dad away from home, and I just can't bring myself to visit. Why? Well, if you have ever known one of these types you will get it. Last time I went I took my soon-to-be husband down. I sat there for 30-45 minutes while he explained to (B) how I could have been a much better athlete in high school, but that I didn't make it my focus. He went on to tell (B) that my time from my junior year would have taken state by one minute if I had run the same time my senior year instead of opting to run shorter races out of laziness. That is the last time I visited. I wasn't angry, or even upset it was just what I would have expected from him. He knew me, knew my stats better than I did and I am sure still does, he did the mathematical calculations of track lap times in his head, minus the delay you would exhibit out of fatigue. It is insane and he was always right.
I did feel pride when he liked what I did, all the high schoolers did. He was proud of my photographs, so much so, that he entered them into a contest. He also told me that one of my pictures had the best focus that he had ever seen, that it was perfect. I will remember that, that sense of pride. He is an amazing man and I have always known that...but social skills do not come packaged with the brilliance. I almost would say with certainty that I have never met a truly brilliant person who had their social life put together. I have known several and it seems people in their life are just too much for them, too unpredictable, incalculable. But is it them, or is it us? Why do we measure others by what comes so easily to us? What is the deal with that?
I know this is not really a normal review for me. I will post the full review of LIFE AFTER GENIUS in a couple of days. I got my book super late and am over half-way, but I love it so much that I WILL NOT skim or try to rush it. I am in love with Mead, the genius in the M. Ann Jacoby's novel, he is so sweet, so endearing and complex. I am eating this novel up right now. YUM. How have I been so blessed to read so many amazing books recently?? I just can't get over how lucky I am!
An article by M. Ann Jacoby, the author of LIFE AFTER GENIUS
LIFE BEFORE GENIUS
Following is the first paragraph of the first draft of LIFE AFTER GENIUS:
Theodore Mead Fegley was named after his mother’s uncle who had money. It was hoped that, for this reason, little Teddy might be looked upon favorably by his great uncle, possibly even included in his will, since the senior Teddy was an old man who’d never gotten married and had no children of his own. It didn’t happen that way though. Theodore Mead, the original, met little Teddy only once. At his eightieth birthday celebration. The infant was placed in the aging man’s lap and tickled repeatedly in an effort to get the small child to smile up at his namesake. But the reaction the tickling induced came from the wrong end and little Teddy was removed in a flurry of apologies, leaving a wet stain on the senior Teddy’s trouser leg. At the reading of the will seventeen months later, it was revealed that Theodore Mead had left all his money to the First Presbyterian Church, an act that little Teddy’s mother took to be a personal affront. It was the first of many times that little Teddy would feel that he had failed his mother.
In this first draft, when my novel was titled The Undertaker’s Son, I followed Mead from birth to 18 years old. He experienced several childhood mishaps but nothing ever really “happened.” One agent, who liked the above paragraph enough to ask to see the first 100 pages, sent them back with the comment that I had written what seemed like more of a character exploration than a novel. At the time I was at a loss as to what that meant. Only after I learned more about plot and structure was I able to go back and read his comment and know what he was talking about.
That’s the way it happened for me. I learned in fits and starts. Herman made his first appearance at the end of my fourth draft (or was it the fifth?). My readers liked him. So I went back and wrote what I came to think of as the Herman chapters. Then I took a class where the instructor focused on Structure. Out of that I got the idea to go back and forth between the Herman chapters and the Home chapters leading up to the climax where the two storylines meet.
With all this in place I got an agent. A couple of drafts later he was ready to send it out to publishers. And even after I had a signed contract there were more drafts.
Revisions, revisions, revisions. They are a fact of every writer’s life. I used them to learn.
Copyright © 2008 by M. Ann Jacoby
WARNING! Don't watch this unless you want to have to read the book!!!
M. Ann Jacoby talks about Life After Genius:
A Bookworm's World
Bermudaonion's Weblog
Booking Mama
Library Queue
Marjolein Book Blog
The Book Nest
Seaside Book Worm Blogger
Books by TJBaff
Linus's Blanket
Diary of An Eccentric
Savvy Verse & Wit
The Optimistic Bookfool
The Printed Page
My Friend Amy
Shooting Stars Mag
Books, Pugs and More
A Novel Menagerie
TomeTraveller's Blog
Chikune
Book Critiques
B&b ex libris
Sharon Loves Books And Cats
At Home With Books
Have you entered my giveaway!?!?! I have 5 copies available of Lost and Found!!!
Lost and Found by Carolyn Parkhurst Giveaway!
"Parkhurst treats the game show as an opportunity for the contestants to decide, as the producer asks of them, "What have you found?" The answer for readers: heart and wit to spare." —Publisher's Weekly
Summary by the publisher:
A suburban mom, her troubled daughter, divorced brothers, former child stars, born-again Christians, and some young millionaires have all been selected to compete on LOST AND FOUND, a daring new reality show. In pairs of two, they will race across the world to compete for a million-dollar prize.The only question is not only who will capture the big jackpot, but at what price.
Carolyn Parkhurst is also the author of the bestseller The Dogs of Babel.
"[A] deeply affecting page-turner.... Parkhurst endows each [character] with complexity and pathos, even when she doesn't approve of the choices they make. What emerges is less a satire than a straightforward character study—one that we're reluctant to put down even after the last contestant crosses the finish line." —Rebecca Marx, Elle Magazine
Click on this open book widget to take you inside of Lost and Found:
Giveaway Details:
Thanks to Hachette Book Group (and publicist Valerie Russo), I can host this book giveaway!! We will start out with one book to giveaway, and for Each 10 entries I will add in an extra copy of the book, up to a total of 5 books.
Residents of the US and Canada only, sorry we cannot mail to PO Boxes.
Enter by the 6th of November, I will pick the winners on Friday the 7th!!!
To enter the giveaway for Lost and Found:
1.) Comment on this post, include why you would like to read it, what interests you about it, or anything else besides, "enter me please"
2.) For an extra two entries post about it on your blog, and let me know that you did.
