The Dudes

So, initially I wanted to highlight five of my favorite authors, one at a time. But today I am feeling a little impatient, so I am going to share my last two faves in one post, starting with one of the best non-fiction writers of all time, David McCullough. David takes people, places and events in American history and writes them with an immediacy that makes one feel as though they are hearing these tales for the first time. He is a truly gifted author, who has been awarded the Pulitzer Prize for my favorite, John Adams, and also for Truman (which I have yet to read). I will have to say that his story of John Adams is one of my top five best-loved books of all time! I do have to warn you,though, that this book is not a quick afternoon read. Oh no, my friends, we're talking 651 daunting pages (in the paperback edition)! But (big BUT) David makes it read like fiction so it goes down real smooth. I just loved reading about our founding fathers and all they went through to fight for our freedoms. At some point in my schooling I remember learning these things, but it was just a blast to be reminded how totally inspired they all were. John Adams was in the thick of pretty much everything during our country's formidable years, so while reading about his life one cannot help but also read about the foundation of the good old US of A. His love and devotion to his amazing wife, Abigail, was one of the subjects I enjoyed reading the most. No e-mail, texting or telephones were available so we get to read portions of their lovely letters to each other. John was gone so much of the time, yet they kept up a correspondence through the mail that is truly a national treasure! She was the yin to his yang and visa versa. It was awesome to see how much he depended on her advice on all things, and how wise she was in her criticisms of how things should be accomplished. It took me a good month to read John Adams, and I will never forget how I felt when both John and Abigail died. I grew so attached to their characters and felt such gratitude for their sacrifices that I couldn't help but shed a few tears at their passing. Just read it, you'll love it! Other titles I have read and loved by David McCullough are The Great Bridge, the story of the building of the Brooklyn Bridge, and 1776, the year that started it all!

Dude #2 is another crazy talented non-fiction writer know as John Krakauer. I was bored out of my gourd one day so I picked up this random book that had been laying around for a while. The title was Into Thin Air
Into Thin Air and nothing about it spoke to me, not its cover nor the description on the inside or any of the praise that was lavished on it. So as I started to read about the disaster that befell a group of mountain climbers on the top of Mount Everest, I was a tiny bit shocked that I didn't want to put it down. Who are these people who do such crazy things, like climb the tallest mountain in the world? What makes them tick? Do I really need to eat or sleep or can I just keep going until this book is finished? These are just some of the questions that I asked myself while reading Into Thin Air. I remember the date of the Everest tragedy well because I was laying in a hospital bed, holding my first newborn baby boy and watching the crazy events unfold on the television set in my room. It was May 1996 when an expedition of climbers, one of whom was John Krakauer himself, attempted the tallest peak in the world and when five of those climbers lost their lives. Why someone would want to risk their life for such a thing was beyond me, but you have to literally pull me up off my couch to get me to the mailbox so I'm obviously not the person to talk to about crazy physical challenges. But John, by delving into the backgrounds of these people and getting into their heads, somehow helped me understand, just a teeny tiny bit, why someone would want to do this Everest thing. So, what happened up there that went so wrong? Basically the same thing that happens every year at twenty-nine thousand feet - unpredictable weather, freezing cold temperatures, addled minds from the lack of sleep, physical exertion and depletion of oxygen (oh yeah, oxygen is necessary)! However, what made this particular year all the more dangerous, as far as Krakauer was concerned, was that there were inexperienced climbers who were "paying" their way to the top via experienced guides. The "paid guide" thing was relatively new in the history of mountain climbing and was getting some negative press at the time because of the inherent dangers of having less prepared climbers trying for the summit. This was Johns first attempt at climbing Mount Everest and it was also part of his job, being that he is a journalist and that he was preparing to write an article about his experience for Outside magazine. Little did he know how much this climb would change his life and what a pivotal role he would play in the lives of those who had the same ambition that day. I loved learning about the world of mountain climbing, of which I knew nothing, and the hows and whys and what the hecks behind the reasoning of risking one's life for a view at the top of the world. It's a fascinating read that will leave you breathless (so don't forget your oxygen mask)! If you find yourself loving John's book and want to get another take on the Everest tragedy, go and pick yourself up The Climb. It's not as compelling as Into Thin Air, but you will definitely get your Everest fix. I also enjoyed reading Johns other true life stories titled Into The Wild and Eiger Dreams. Both are totally awesome and disturbing at the same time. Hot off the presses is his new book Where Men Win Glory which is getting some great reviews. Has anybody read it? It took all my will power not to buy it at Costco the other day! Happy reading!

A breath of fresh air

Sometimes it gets really hot where I live. Africa hot. The kind of hot that melts people (get my drift?). Until the sun goes down and the Delta breeze starts cooling everything off. That's when I like to open up the windows and let the sweet air flow. This, my friends, is how it feels to read one of Shannon Hales' wonderful novels! My sister, Kristin, told me about her and how I just "HAD to read The Goose Girl ." She'd picked it up one day and couldn't put it down (DITTO). Shannon mostly writes for children and young adults, but don't let that dissuade you. Her books are quite simply a dream read for any girl, regardless of age. I say "girl" because we're talking princesses and romance and marriage and happily ever afters. However, if you're a dude and you like that sort of thing, more power to ya! Goose Girl is a modern day, dressed-up Grimms Brother tale of the same name. It is also the first novel in the Books of Bayern series. The story is centered around a princess named Ani, who has special powers that are not appreciated by her mother, the Queen, or anyone else really. She's an oddity, but a likable one. Her mother sends her off to be married to a prince from another kingdom, yet along the way she is overthrown and her identity is stolen by her lady-in-waiting. Ani must take matters into her own hands as she finds herself totally alone in an unfamiliar land. Luckily she lands a gig as the keeper of the Royal Flock, hence the title "Goose Girl." I just love the way Shannon writes, lulling me with her poetic prose. It's obvious from her novels that she appreciates tough chicks who are at one with nature. Most of her heroines kick some serious butt whilst camping-out for long periods of time. She has an awesome imagination that literally oozes from every page! Goose Girl was my favorite of the three Bayern books, but I also heartily enjoyed Enna Burning and River Secrets (both based on characters you'll meet in Goose Girl). Shannon was awarded the Newbery for her novel Princess Academy, another super-fun read for young girls. I recommended it to my eleven year old daughter and she just couldn't get into it. I honestly loved it, was horrified when she wouldn't read it, and almost disowned her right then and there! We're now on better terms since she's read The Series of Unfortunate Events novels and gave them a thumbs up (but seriously, what mother wouldn't worry?). Book of a Thousand Days is also another "how does this woman do it!?" kind of read that just boggles the mind. Her imagination knows no bounds, people! I took a peek at Amazon and noticed that she has a couple of new books out that I have not read, o happy day! Recently she has delved into a little contemporary adult fiction, giving us Austenland, an ode to all things Jane Austen (I think I already mentioned that I love this one) and The Actor and The Housewife (has anyone read this???). All I know is that no matter what genre, Shannon Hales' books, like her many female characters, kick some serious booty!

Shalom, my friends

There are times in the life of a reader when one has to pull out the big guns and call on friends for a good book recommendation. Personally, I am lucky to have awesome friends and family to whom I can turn when my stack starts to dwindle. A couple of years ago I was desperate for a read so I called on my sister-in-law Natalie for her expertise. She kindly shared several of her favorites, one of which was Davita's Harp by Chaim Potok. Natalie deserves some serious props here for turning me on to Chaim because he is now one of my absolute faves! The problem is, I am just not eloquent enough to give Chaim and his beautiful novels the praise they deserve. But I'll do my best to convey to you, with my limited intellect and vocabulary, why he has earned my undying love. First of all, I love to say his name, which takes quite and bit of phlegm to pronounce. Secondly, his prose is unique in it's simplicity. I just couldn't seem to get his voice out of my head long after the book was finished (kinda like a Miley Cyrus song, though not as annoying). Also, Chaim's' novels gave me a much needed education on Judaism. I became fascinated with Jewish culture and soon found myself adopting the Hebrew greeting "shalom" in my daily life (ring..ring.."Shalom, this is the Walter residence"). Although I enjoyed Davita's Harp, I will have to say it was his novel My Name Is Asher Lev that blew me away. It's the story of a young Hasidic Jewish boy who realizes that his calling in life is to be an artist, far from the hopes and dreams of his parents. One interview I read alluded to this particular novel being auto-biographical in nature. Chaim himself was an artist and, in fact, one of his paintings plays a pivotal role in this book. Not only was he a great author and artist, he was also a college professor, a rabbi and the editor of a newspaper. Do you see why I get a little nervous about reviewing his books? The man was a genius and his books are masterpieces, people, MASTERPIECES!!! Now I'm getting a bit too dramatic for my own good. If you haven't yet had the pleasure of reading one of his novels may I suggest starting with his most popular, The Chosen? It is also a very compelling read and has an equally awesome sequel titled The Promise. If for some reason you read (or have read) one of his books and you don't like it, I kindly ask that you keep it to yourself. I think it's pretty obvious from this post that I am quite attached to Mr.Potok and can't be trusted to take any criticism about him very well. That being said, I leave you with a very heart-felt "Shalom."

The One & Only Jane Austen

Let's get this party started! I thought it would be kinda fun to begin with my first posts featuring a short list of authors I love. Five authors who's books are a sure thing as far as I'm concerned.

The one and only - Jane Austen. Oh how happy you make me!!! I love Ms. Austen for so many reasons. She makes me laugh, swoon, cry and sometimes cringe. It's easy to identify with her characters because they are so real and so totally flawed. If I HAD to pick my favorite novel that she penned it would probably be Pride and Prejudice (with Sense and Sensibility at a close second). I first fell in love with P&P and all things Austen when Colin Firth (hubba-hubba) was cast as Mr. Darcy in the A&E film adaptation (and when I saw his beautiful grounds at Pemberly). I was a gonner! Jane Austen's books are now parodied to the point where it's getting a bit insane. One can hardly keep up with all the new releases, but I'm not complaining. This summer I was both disgusted and entertained by Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. It's a great way to get your Mr. Darcy fix while laughing out loud as bloodthirsty zombies attack Mr. Collins! It was a goal of mine this summer to read all of Jane's books, but alas it was not meant to be. I did, however, finish P&P, S&S and Persuasion. After finishing Persuasion I had a hankerin' to watch the A&E version. Man those people are NOT attractive, the teeth and moles disturb, but it's still a great show that captures the angst I felt from the novel. I know, I know, this is technically a book review, but one cannot love Jane's books without loving the movies that go with them. All I know is that when the day is grey and I'm feeling a little blue, all I have to do is open one of her novels or pop in one of the many A&E films and everything is looking a little brighter!

P.S. Other Austen-esque novels I have read and enjoyed are The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen, Austenland and the series An Assembly Such as This(from Darcy's view).