Book Reviews

My family and I are avid readers, so here I'll share our thoughts on what we enjoy reading.

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Coming Soon! (March 16, 2010)

The Unwritten Rule - Elizabeth Scott
The pre-release reviews of this new book has me anxious to read it with the beginning, "Everyone knows the unwritten rule: You don't like your best friend's boyfriend..."

One of the reviews says "Elizabeth Scott does it again, bringing something not spoken of out into the light. The Unwritten Rule explores the depth of the emotional and physical struggle to do the right thing, but also to follow your heart."

No matter the subject, the struggle to do the right thing is something near and dear to my heart, not only in my personal life, but in my advocacy work, so I can't wait to read "The Unwritten Rule!"

Living Dead Girl - Elizabeth Scott
I was shocked by Living Dead Girl. Most authors want to hear 'I couldn't put it down' from their fans. Living Dead Girl is a book you must put down; but I think you should then pick it right back up. It is a painful, horrible story, but one every single young woman and her parents should read. This is the worst type of horror story because it is heartbreakingly realistic and it will break the heart of every parent of a young girl. I still have nightmares about this book. Reading it was a profound experience for me - a must read, but be prepared…

Let me be clear about a couple of things:

First -- these are certainly not the only wonderful women song writers that were already writing great music before I was born.

Second -- just because I think these woman are amazing, does not mean I would like a book written about them.

Third -- I love the NY Times book review attached, but I am not sure I agree with all its content.

So with that said, here is what I think about this book. It is an amazing amount of information about truly interesting, talented and in many ways, fragile people. It goes back and forth between the life stories of these three ladies. This results in a book that is very interesting. I enjoyed comparing what was happening at about the same time for these woman. However, it also goes back in forth in time frames. That made the book difficult to follow. The book also quotes the lyrics of many of the unforgettable songs penned by these ladies while talking about their lives. That made the book just plain silly. Lastly, way too much time is spent on the details of each ladies' loves and losses. I would have loved more insight into their minds, hearts and souls. Either way -- PLEASE ENJOY THE BOOK. I hope it reminds you of the wonderful music created by the Girls.

The third in the Anybodies, Nobodies series by N. E. Bode is as wonderful as the first two. I must share some my favorite parts with you:

Harper Lee, born in 1926, might be called a "one hit wonder." Even though it is one of the best selling novels of all time, and even after she received the Pulitzer Prize for it in 1961, she's never written another book. Reclusive and extremely protective of her privacy, she rarely grants interviews or makes public appearances. One of the exceptions is that she regularly attends the awards ceremony for an essay contest on the subject of her famous novel. The contest is sponsored by the Honors College at the University of Alabama. She says she enjoys how young people find new perspectives on the book. "They always see new things in it…and the way they relate it to their lives now is really quite incredible." They can still relate to racial tensions and southern stereotypes. One girl wrote an essay likening the trial of the book's Tom Robinson (a black man unjustly accused of raping a white girl) to the 1999 murder of a young man in Sylacauga killed because he was gay. Adults are similarly affected - mothers have named their children after the author or the characters.

Her involvement with the contest began with her induction to the Alabama Academy of Honor, a society that pays homage to influential people born or living in the state. The main concern of the society was that the author would not accept the nomination due to her desire for privacy. But during her public appearances, she is quick-witted and gregarious, cheerfully signing autographs even though she laughs at all the fuss.

Her friend, Horton Foote, wrote the screenplay for the film version starring Gregory Peck. She spent three weeks on the set, but took off when she saw everything was going fine without her input. She was pleased with the outcome, stating, "I think it is one of the best translations of a book to film every made."

After the film "Capote" in which Ms. Lee is portrayed as the moral conscience of her childhood friend, Truman Capote, reporters again began clamoring for interviews. A friend suggested she come up with a form letter response to these requests. At that, Ms. Lee responded that what it would say is simply, "Hell, no."

The Book Whisperer - Anyone that knows me knows that I have a passion for reading (and of course, my family, my job, rock and roll, sports, wine and, of course, FOOD). This review of books is great and I LOVED Airman by Eoin Colfer. Read Chasing Vermeer and Wright Three by the same author - they are wonderful...some of the best children's books ever written!! Enjoy and feel free to share your favorite books as well.

Teen Ink - A print magazine, website and book series written by teens.
I LOVE this newsletter! Anyone interested in writing or getting their kids empowered to write well should check it out... Patti

LibriVox - Free audiobooks
For all you folks out there that are like me and love to be read, or listen to books, this is a great resource. You can download classic adult and children’s books, short stories and poems to your iPod or burn them onto a CD. Titles include "Pride and Prejudice" - "A Little Princess" - "The Call of the Wild". All titles are in the public domain and are read by volunteers. You can volunteer to read as well. Audio books are great for young readers and older readers, or folks like me with limited time, but need to relax by getting into a good story now and then. I listen while I exercise, garden, walk, when I cannot sleep because I am thinking of work, etc. Of course they are great for folks with sight and reading challenges. ENJOY AND SPREAD THE JOY OF A GREAT STORY!!