Giveaway: “The Day the World Ends” by Ethan Coen
Here are a few facts you may not have known. 1. I have seen nearly every film made by the Coen brothers. The ones I’ve seen: Blood Simple Raising Arizona Miller’s Crossing Barton Fink The Hudsucker Proxy Fargo The Big Lebowski O Brother, Where Art Thou? The Man Who Wasn’t There Intolerable Cruelty No Country for Old Men Burn After Reading True Grit The ones I haven’t seen: The Ladykillers A Serious Man 2. Ethan Coen, one half of the duo responsible […]
“The Personal History of Rachel DuPree” by Ann Weisgarber
Rachel DuPree is tired. Her five living children are hungry and thirsty, and the baby due any day will add another weight to Rachel’s already overburdened shoulders. The DuPrees have scraped through the long summer drought with dreams of cool drinking water and full bellies, and Rachel is sick with a feeling of failure; she has failed to provide for her family, and she has failed to tame the wild lands that she and her husband, Isaac, claimed fourteen years ago.
Thankfully Reading (and Writing!)
First of all, I would like to apologize for my recent lapse in blogging. Between school, my birthday, and Thanksgiving–not to mention a terrible cold–I haven’t been able to keep up with my usual posts. I’ve got a few entries drafted that I intend to post over the next week, so please be patient with me. It’s good to be back! And I thought I’d come back with a bang. This weekend I participated in one of my favorite readathons, Thankfully Reading. […]
“Holy Ghost Girl” Winner
And the winner is… Amy! Congratulations, you’ve won a free copy of Donna M. Johnson’s fantastic memoir, Holy Ghost Girl! Keep in mind, readers still have a chance to win another memoir that I loved, Donia Bijan’s Maman’s Homesick Pie. I’ll be randomly choosing up to three winners of this book at midnight on November 15.
“Maman’s Homesick Pie” by Donia Bijan
In the wake of a tragic accident that claims the life of her mother, Donia Bijan finds herself lost in memories of her family’s history—from pleasant memories of growing up on the second floor of her parents’ hospital in Tehran to fearfully fleeing Iran for their lives.
“Holy Ghost Girl” by Donna M. Johnson
Donna Johnson had an unusual childhood. Her mother brought Donna and her younger brother, Gary, into the inner circle of David Terrell, a very popular big tent revivalist in the 1960s and 70s. Donna spent her childhood under the wing of the charismatic and megalomaniacal minister; the only home she knew was under the “largest tent in the world.”
August 2011 in Review
August 2011 Stats Books in progress: 6 Books read: 7 Pages read: 2,382 Books reviewed: 6 Posts on book reviewing: 6 (includes features like In My Mailbox, Wordless Wednesday, and Top Ten Tuesday; reading challenges; and news) August was a great month for me–I read several great books that I’m excited about reviewing, and I reviewed several books that I enjoyed a great deal. I loved John McWhorter’s What Language Is and Noelle Hancock’s My Year with Eleanor. And I also enjoyed […]
Winner of “What Language Is” and New Giveaway
And the winner of John McWhorter’s What Language Is… The Word Jar! Congratulations! My next giveaway will be Ned Zeman’s fantastic memoir of madness and memory loss, The Rules of the Tunnel. Leave a comment on that review by midnight on September 30 to win! Note: I originally posted that the winner was Gwendolyn B. at A Sea of Books, but she informed me that she had already won this book and graciously offered it to the next random winner.
“The Rules of the Tunnel” by Ned Zeman
What is madness? How does one distinguish between a behavioral disorder and a really bad day?
Ned Zeman, a journalist who has written for Vanity Fair, Newsweek, Spy, GQ, Outside, and Sports Illustrated, turns his eye to the one subject that has constantly eluded him: himself. His zany memoir of madness and memory loss reads like one long feature piece—a profile of himself.
“What Language Is” by John McWhorter
Title: What Language Is: And What It Isn’t and What It Could Be Author: John McWhorter ISBN: 9781592406258 Pages: 240 Release date: […]
“Northwest Corner” by John Burnham Schwartz
Short and sweet: Northwest Corner picks up twelve years after Reservation Road ended.
Theme song: “How to Save a Life” by the Fray (See “random pop culture references” below.)
Recommended for: Baseball fans who appreciate the lasting effects of latent violence.
Dwight Arno served his time in prison for not reporting his fatal accident with Josh Learner, and he is now living quietly in California. But in waiting to turn himself in, did he miss his shot at redemption? Will the mistakes he’s made continue to haunt him?
We Have a Winner!
Last month, I hosted a giveaway of Stefan Merrill Block’s Storm at the Door and Ellen Feldman’s Next to Love. They are both excellent books that examine post-World War II relationships in very different ways. And the winner is…. Margaret! Congratulations! Stay tuned for my next giveaway, to be announced on Wednesday!
July 2011 in Review
I started the month of strong in terms of books read, but Sapphire’s The Kid dragged on and George R.R. Martin’s A Dance with Dragons tops 1,000 pages–I’m about halfway done with it.
“Next to Love” by Ellen Feldman
Babe, Millie, and Grace have been friends for as long as they can remember. They have their differences—pugnacious Babe grew up in the poor section of town and never met with approval from Grace’s upper-class mother, while sweet Millie dealt with the loss of her parents at a young age. But now, as World War II summons their husbands and boyfriends, the women must come to terms with the reality of an America at war, where romance and joy are replaced with grief and loss and then with strength and wisdom.
“The Storm at the Door” by Stefan Merrill Block
Long before Stefan Merrill Block was born, the marriage between his grandparents, Frederick and Katharine Merrill, was pushed to the breaking point. Frederick’s alcohol abuse and infidelity had wounded Katharine for years, but his manic depression took him too far one night. Katharine convinced the police to take him to a renowned mental hospital in Massachusetts instead of placing him under arrest.
Melody Schreiber 