Frank McCourt is dead

Just noticed on amazon.com that author, of Angela's Ashes: A Memoir, 'Tis: A Memoir, and Teacher Man: A Memoir, Frank McCourt died on Sunday, July 19. I read all three but preferred Angela's Ashes. It is inspirational that Angela's Ashes which made him famous, was published when he was in his sixties. Never too late to be a writer.

Thriller Awards 2009

The ThrillerMaster Award goes to (drum roll) David Morrell. Bodies Left Behind by Jeffrey Deaver won the Big Thriller of the Year award.

Book Club Selection

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon is our book club selection for discussion on Friday. Wow, this was some book. There is an interview with the writer on this site.

This was a fascinating historical gothic thriller about destiny. It's about people and things that were meant to be connected. The setting is Barcelona, Spain from 1945 to 1966 but also looks back to the 1930s and the Spanish Civil War which occurred just before the World War. Love is a constant theme: forbidden love, romantic love, unrequited love, fatherly love, motherly love, love between friends, and love of books. However, hate and vengeance were always lurking in the shadows.

The story starts off with a 10 year old boy, Daniel, being taken by his father to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books; a labyrinth of passageways and bookshelves that store books that were no longer remembered by anyone. Daniel was told to adopt one of these forgotten books and make sure that the book would always stay alive. The whole thing was to be a secret even from his best friend Tomas. Daniel chose a book called The Shadow of the Wind by Julian Carax. He felt he was meant to be connected to this book. His fascination with finding out about the author from the age of 10 until his twenties, led him to a life of adventure filled with danger, fear, and love. We soon learn that one of the reasons that The Shadow of the Wind was so rare, was that someone had destroyed all other copies of Carax’s books.

The first sign that Daniel was about to embark on an adventure filled life because of the book, was when he looked out his window and saw the shadowy figure of one of the characters in the book, Lain Coubert also known as the devil. Who was Lain Coubert is one of the mysteries of the storyline.

Also as a child, Daniel became fascinated by a pen that was once allegedly owned by the writer Victor Hugo. Like the book, the pen linked Daniel to Carax and became part of his destiny. I would give this 5 stars.

Free Ebooks for a Month

Yes, tis true. You can have free access to electronic books for a month.

What to Read Next

The July 13, 2009 issue of Newsweek has an article titled What to Read Now. And Why

I am sorry to say that I have never read any of these 50 books, not even Frankenstein by Mary Shelley which is on the list.

I also found an interesting Top 100 Books: The Meta-List in Newsweek online.

The King is dead 1958-2009

The King of Pop is dead; long live his music. I did not attend his concert in Jamaica but I remember when this took place.

Dr. Jerri Nielsen is dead

On July 20, 2007 we met to discuss Icebound. The writer, Dr. Jerri Nielsen, is dead. We just mentioned her book at our meeting on Friday as one of the "must reads".

July 17 Book Club Selection

Shadow of the Wind by Spanish writer Carlos Ruiz Zafon is our July pick. Link here for discussion questions.

We have to put off Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet till August when we hope most people can get it to buy or borrow through Interlibrary loan.

Shadow is a long book, over 400 pages. One amazon reviewer says it is a mystery, a fairy tale, and several love stories all in one and suggests that the book should be read slowly and carefully. Hmmm.

What to read for the rest of 2009?

I read a book some time ago called Breadfruit, by Celestine Vaite. The setting was Tahiti and the story was about a woman named Matarena, mother of three, who was determined to marry the father of her children. The tales were unusual, funny, and very interesting - great insight into the culture of the French Polynesian island.

Apparently Breadfruit is a sequel to Frangipani, the book I am now reading. Frangipani is mainly about Matarena's relationship with her only daughter. Again, there are unusual stories about Matarena's family that are quite funny. You can read each book on its own; you don't have to read them in sequence.

I personally feel that Breadfruit has the better stories. The third book about Matarena and her family is called Tiare.

So, if I am to make a list of books that I'd like to read for the rest of the year, I will have to include Tiare, and also Devil's Banker by Christoper Reich, and Northern Thunder by Andy Harp.

Okebookclub Selections 2009

We have actually been meeting in Waycross since 2002. Yeah! Here is what we have read and discussed in 2009 so far:


January 16
Secret Life of Bees by Sue Kidd Monk

February 20
Dewey the Small town Library Cat by Vicki Myron

March 20
The Keepsake by Terri Gerritsen

April 17
March by Geraldine Brooks

May 15
Straight by Dick Francis

June 19
Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

I am still hoping to get this book on our schedule:

July
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford

Global Citizens

Here is one visionary mother preparing her children to be global citizens by giving them a global education so they can fit in the new global economy. See article about Maya Frost's book, Global Student, in USA Today.