Summer Reading: New York

I just finished reading New York by Edward Rutherford.  It took me several days.  The story started with the early Indian and Dutch New York ancestry and ended with post September 11th period and a message about Imagination and Freedom.  It covered several families but focused mainly on the The Masters of New York. I liked how the families linked up in future generations.  I would have liked the slave Hudson to have had a descendant going into the 21st century with the Masters and O'Donnell families.The American Revolution was the weakest part for me but generally I enjoyed reading about the wide range of historical highlights - the prejudices against the Jews, the Irish, the Italians, and the Draft Wars of the 19th century.

Connect with Julie Garwood

Julie Garwood is a social networking author. This is my latest email from the writer Julie Garwoood.  Check out all the ways you can connect with her :

Dear Readers,

Finally, all of my books are joining the digital age and are becoming ebooks.
If you'd like to order the latest releases, click here.

Castles, For the Roses, Guardian Angel, and Prince Charming are now available for download. As a bonus for ordering any one of these, you'll get a sneak peak at my next book, The Ideal Man.

Saving Grace, The Bride, and The Gift can be pre-ordered for a June delivery.

The Secret, The Wedding, and The Prize will be available in July.

And you can now pre-order The Ideal  Man, which will be released on August 9.

For current updates, please join me on my Facebook Page or Twitter @JulieGarwood.

All the best,

Best Library Blogs

This year I voted for the Best Library Blog Awards.  See all the categories and the judges for  Salem's 2011 Best Library Blogs.  These are last year's Salem winners:  link here.
 
I also came across this site for Top 25 Librarian Bloggers. 

There is also this link to Ten Librarian Blogs to read in 2010. 

Some  of those listed on 100 Best Librarian Blogs of the Future are on the list of nominees for a Salem Best Library Blog Award, for example, I voted for Librarians Matter.  I like the May 17 post about What is a library? What do Librarians do?

Controversial James Frey on Oprah

Did you miss the Oprah show with guest James Frey as I did?  Well read about Mr. Frey's new book with a controversial portrayal of Jesus.  No wonder Mr. Harold Camping is predicting the end of the world and no wonder there are people who actually believe him.

Shock and awe, just like sex, sells.

Book Club Selections

 We have decided.  The following is a list of books that we will read and discuss at our meetings from June through September:

June:  Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson
July: Eye of the Crow:The Boy Sherlock Holmes: His First Case by Shane Peacock
August: The Passage by Justin Cronin
September: East of the Sun by Julia Gregson.

What Do You Have for Summer Reading?

We have several suggestions for the book club. Hmm, what will we decide on this Friday at our meeting? Will it be Confederates in the Attic by Tony Horwitz,1999? Could it be The Undertaker's Wife by Loren Estleman ,2010;  Snow Falling on Cedars by William Cooper, 1995;  the young adult fiction, Eye of the Crow: The Boy Sherlock Holmes; or the one that I enjoyed reading some months ago, East of the Sun by Julia Gregson? May be we will tackle all five books.

Reader's Rights

So you thought you did not have any "rights" as a reader?  Think again. You do.  There is a Library Bill of Rights: Libraries should provide material with all points of view and so on. There is the Reader's Bill of Rights: The Reader has a right not to finish reading a book.  Now you also have rights as an Ebook reader : The Reader has a right to annotate, quote passages, print, and share econtent.

Little Women @ Waycross Area Community Theatre (WACT)

I enjoyed reading the book Little Women by Louisa M. Alcott as a child and I have also enjoyed the movie version starring Wynona Ryder and Susan Sarandon.   Last night I decided that I could not miss the final performance of the play, Little Women,  presented by the community theatre group (WACT) at the Ritz downtown, Waycross. Excellent performances by Ashley Barnett, graduate of Waycross College, as Jo; Michelle Lagoueyte as Amy; and Tom Strait as the German Professor Bhaer.  There were some issues with the sound but it got better in the second half.

Next activity for WACT will be a dinner theatre, in August, in association with the Pond View Restaurant next door to the Ritz.  The title is Murder at the TonyLou Awards.  The WACT is promising entertainment, intrigue and murder.

James Frey on Oprah May 16

When is a memoir not really a memoir?  Greg Mortenson, author of Three Cups of Tea, joins James Frey, author of A Million Little Pieces, and others who wrote memoirs that weren't really memoirs.  

What's  James Frey  been up to these days? Well he'll be on Oprah for the third time. Look out for him on May 16.

Historical Fiction

I am waiting for my book to arrive: Darling Strumpet, the story of Nell Gwyn; the mistress of King Charles 11.  While I am waiting I will start reading New York, bestselling book, by Edward Rutherford. 

Princess Diana is supposed to be a descendant of King Charles 11 and Nell Gwyn, "the strumpet".  When Prince William becomes King, I read that  he will be the first descendant of King Charles 11 to occupy the throne.

Usama Bin Laden

Suddenly Osama is now being spelt Usama on TV. No matter what the spelling; he is dead and gone to his maker. I remember the step son of my retired coworker, Mike Douglas; the brother-in-law of my former classmate, Ingrid Reid; the son of a former church brother; Jim Parkes. All were among the dead in the Towers. Nothing will bring them back to their families but hopefully this death brings them closure.

I got this link from Salem Press and thought my readers may want to read these historical speeches.

Historical Fiction

I took a break from British historical fiction to take on The Wives of Henry Oades by Johanna Moran set in the nineteenth century about a man who ended up married to two women. It's a good storyline but I think it lacks excitement. I think I'd like to go back to British historical fiction and my online book club is promoting, The Darling Strumpet:A Novel of Nell Gwynn, Who Captured the Heart of England and King Charles 11, the highly rated debut novel by Gillian Bagwell, set in 17th century London.