Book Buzz

Interesting books on Dear Reader's website under Author Buzz. What would you do if your husband suddenly wanted to re-write the rules for your relationship? That is the question Sarah Pekkanen asks in her story, Skipping a Beat.

You may remember that Dear Reader is an online book club of which I am a member. I get the first chapters of new books before they are published.

Ayanla Vanzant has a new book out, Peace from Broken Pieces: How to get Through What You're Going Through, that was at #2000 on one of the bestsellers list. After her first interview on the Oprah show after 11 years, the book went to #8. Last night was the second interview. This morning Ayanla said her book is now #1. It's now clear which bestsellers list. I saw it at #2 on amazon's list of biographies today and Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand as # 1

World Without End

I have put all books down to focus on "World Without End" by Ken Follett. This book continues with the story of Kingsbridge. Kingsbridge is a medieval town with a Gothic cathedral designed and built some 200 hundred years earlier in the 12th century by Jack Builder whom we readers met in "Pillars of the Earth".

I am following the lives of Gwenda and Philemon, raised by their father to be thieves. I am also following Merthin, a skilled mason/builder, and his brother Ralph, a knight, descendants of Jack Builder. I am following the monk and wanna be Prior of the cathedral, Godwyn, and his cousin, Caris, who is in love with Merthin. Both are also descendants of Jack Builder.

Okebook Club's 2010 Selections

January 15
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope by William Kamkwamba

February 19
The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

March 19
Angel’s Game by Carlos Luis Zafon

April 16
The Book Thief by Markus Zusac

May 21
The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood

June 18
Sarah’s Key by Tatiana Rosnay

July 15
Thin Woman by Dorothy Cannell

August 20
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

September 17
Handle with Care by Jodie Picoult

October 15
The Help by Kathryn Stockett

November 19
The Blood of Flowers: A novel by Anita Amirrezvani

Pillars of the Earth

I spent all evening yesterday watching 8 episodes of Pillars of the Earth based on the book by Ken Follett. Wonderful historical fiction set in the twelfth century! I was mesmerized by the storyline - corruption in the church and crown, fulfillment of prophecy, murder and mayhem. I think I will be checking out the sequel to Pillars titled, World Without End

Fall of Giants is Follett's first book in the Century Trilogy, set in the twentieth century. This book does not seem to be a big hit with amazon readers/reviewers.

The Shepherd Dreamer

I am enjoying The Alchemist It is the story of Santiago from Andalusia, Spain. He is a shepherd boy who has been having the same dream and the dream has no end. After consultation with a gypsy about his dream, he begins a personal journey. On the spiritual level he seems to be on a journey to find his personal destiny and on the physical level, he is on a journey to find treasure in Egypt. I am interested at this point to find out if the physical and spiritual will connect. He is inspired to seek the treasure to woo the daughter of a merchant but in Africa he meets and falls in love with Fatima, a daughter of the desert. I am curious as to how this love story really turns out.

One key message that comes up is that when you want something, the universe conspires to help you. Along the journey Santiago meets a mysterious old king, a vendor of crystals, an English scholar who is seeking an Alchemist in Africa, and he meets the Alchemist himself. all these are persons that the universe has sent to him to help him on his personal journey. One truth Santiago learns from the Alchemist is that when one possesses great treasure within nobody believes you.

Graphic Novels

Waycross College library is moving with the times and now has a Graphic Novel Collection. Graphic novels look like comics but in a more durable binding. So far I have read the graphic version of Moby Dick and enjoyed it. Now I am tackling the Alchemist this weekend, also in graphic novel format. The Alchemist by Paul Coelho is described as a modern classic, on amazon's website, and has been translated into 71 languages since its first printing.

Book Buzz: Tiger Mom's Memoirs

The memoirs of Amy Chua titled, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother is the book buzz of the month. She is on so many talk shows these days explaining that her book is a memoir and not a "how to parent" book. See her interview on Oprah.com.

Is it time to write your own memoirs? Abigail Thomas on Oprah's website gives you some exercises to get you thinking and writing.

Keep Libraries Open

Libraries in northeast Florida are fighting back amidst budget cuts. Keep libraries funded; keep libraries open.

Libraries are vital for frugal living. I was just making a list of the top three sites on Galileo where Georgia college students can access free video clips. All they have to do is click on the Browse by Type tab on Galileo and select Multimedia to see all available links.

The top three useful ones are:

· Films on Demand- Social Sciences, Business, Health, and Science
· C-Span Video library - politics
· Consumer Health Complete - health and nutrition information

Straight from Julie Garwood's Mouth

Actually, it is straight from the author's email. I get mail from Julie Garwood from time to time. Her latest email was announcing that her new book title, Sizzle, would be in stores on Tuesday, January 25 in paperback. Julie wrote that in this story the protagonist, Lyra Prescott, is a film student who gets into big trouble after she inadvertently records a crime on her camera. With most people having cell phones with cameras, not me, this scenario could happen in real life.

Also, check back on her interactive website in a few weeks to learn more about her next novel, The Ideal Man, coming in August.

Monster of Florence

I finished the Ape House by Sara Gruen. Although my interest lagged in the middle, I liked the resolution to the story. I would rate this whole story 3.5 out of 5 stars. I have moved on to the Monster of Florence set in Florence, Italy. Famous thriller writer, Douglas Preston is one of the writers of this non-fiction. The monster is Italy's Jack the Ripper. I am eager to read this one.

The Ape House - January Book Club Selection

I am at page 236 this morning. The story is way below the standard of Water For Elephants, also by Sara Gruen. The book has drama and I am committed to the main characters, John, Amanda, and Isabel, but something is lacking in the story. What exactly I can't seem to verbalize yet.

So far John ends up covering the story of the bonobos for a tabloid when he really wants to produce writing that is Pullitzer Prize worthy. His wife wants to be a novelist but ends up in Hollywood as a script writer who bows to pressure to look like the other fake folks of Hollywood. Isabel is obsessed with getting custody of the bonobos who are put on a reality TV show by the new owner, a producer of porn, so that viewers can watch the sex acts of the animals.

Maybe what I don't like is all the minor issues going on with the main storyline that do not seem to relate to rescuing the bonobos such as, Amanda wanting a baby and John being scared, Amanda being angry with her interfering mother, John saving a man from a burning meth lab and inheriting a dog. Perhaps as I read on I will see how the issues all connect.

Read what one reviewer thought about the story.

Water For Elephants by the way is now a movie to be released in April.