Sometimes We're Always Real Same-Same by Mattox Roesch

Sometimes We're Always Real Same-Same

by Mattox Roesch

Copyright 2009

Unbridled Books - Fiction

317 pages

Mattox Roesch's website

. . . "How we love is our religion. Not what we believe."

He's in the driver's seat, looking out at a single row of telephone poles that veer off the road and run up into the hills. Both of his hands are resting at the bottom of the wheel, at six o'clock. He leans back, pulls up his right sleeve again, and shows me the sketch that runs along his forearm. "It isn't real," he says. "I've drawn it on about fifty times with ink-pen." He tells me he's planning to get the permanent kind later that summer.

"I thought about getting some too."

He holds the inside of the wheel at twelve o'clock with that arm, his sleeve hiked to his elbow. He points to parts of the drawing with his left hand. "This will be Native Jesus. She's reaching into the clouds on this side and the sea on that side."

--Go-boy talks about his hand-drawn Eskimo Jesus tattoo in Sometimes We're Always Real Same-Same

There were three things that attracted me to this book (besides the title, which I think is one of the best titles I've heard all year):

1. I love Unbridled Books.

2. The story takes place in Alaska.

3. I'm crazy about that cover.

I'm not sure those are the best reasons to read a book, but they seem to have worked in this case. Unbridled Books carries a broad variety for a small publishing company and their gorgeous covers, in my humble opinion, reflect respect for authors. I admire them for that.

Cesar is a 17-year-old Los Angeles gang member. His brother is serving a life sentence for gang-related murder and his mother wants to remove Cesar from the area to prevent him from ending up in jail like his brother, so she and Cesar move to her home territory: Unalakleet, Alaska. Unalakleet is a small village quite far north (I looked it up on Google Earth and it's not that far from Nome, relatively speaking). Everyone knows everyone and a lot of them are related.

Cesar's cousin Go-boy, who has visited Cesar in LA, latches onto him and immediately becomes the most important person in his life. Cesar has secrets and guilt about things that he's done. But Go-boy has some serious problems, himself. I don't want to say much more about the storyline because there's a lot to this book that I don't want to spoil. One thing I found interesting was that the story explores spirituality along with mental illness, family life and gang activity. I've read a lot of Christian books (i.e., published under a special line or by a company that only publishes clean or Christian-themed titles) in 2009 and a good portion of the novels have hardly anything about God in them at all. By comparison, this book is really heavy on conversations about God. That may be irrelevant but I found it fascinating.

Sometimes We're Always Real Same-Same

threw me, at first. I had a little trouble getting into it and becoming accustomed to the author's voice, then I spent a lot of time trying to figure out the author's objective. What was he trying to say? Where was he headed? Go-boy is mentally ill so his often-rambling comments about spirituality are over-the-top. I found myself wondering whether people find this kind of viewpoint of God more acceptable than central characters who express their beliefs without mental illness as an explanation. Go-boy's illness is practically a character in and of itself and could stimulate some interesting discussion in a group setting.

While I was reading, I found a guest blog post by Mattox Roesch at The Bookmark at the U. It helped me to understand where the author was coming from. Once I read that blog post, I whipped through the second half of the book and really enjoyed it. The story has continued to roll around in my head since I closed the book, 4 days ago. There's a lot to think about and discuss. I liked the way the book ended. I liked the way the book made me think. In the end, Cesar (who changes his name near the end of the story) is still a teenager but perhaps a bit more mature and balanced. He has slowly grown to love his small Alaskan community and to understand the benefits of living an exposed life, where you can cover up the past but you can't hide the present.

There was one thing about the characters that bugged me. Throughout the book, Go-boy and other people in Unalakleet refer to themselves as "Eskimos". Our former swim coach is from Alaska and I know he has said the word "Eskimo" can be offensive to certain Alaskans. The author lives in Unalakleet so I'm figuring he knows what he's talking about, but it still bothered me so I wrote to M. and asked him what he thought. He said there are places the word is acceptable. Where he comes from, the native tribes are Haida and Tlingit. You don't call them Eskimos; they're tribal natives. But, farther north . . . he wasn't certain and said he'd ask around but thought it probably was fine.

I'm having that "I sooo do not want to rate this book" feeling, again. I have mixed feelings. It took me so long to get into Sometimes We're Always Real Same-Same that I didn't think I was going to end up liking the book at all. But, then once I got a grip on the themes the author intended to explore, it suddenly became a book that meant something. There was one question that I thought the author left totally hanging and I didn't care for that. In general, though, Sometimes We're Always Real Same-Same was nicely wrapped up and I like that title/theme that we're individuals but in many ways we're all alike. We're all human. And, the Alaskan setting was great.

Okay . . . hmm. I'll say 3.75/5 - thought-provoking writing, a little inscrutable at the beginning but with a solid conclusion. Definitely recommended. I think it would have helped to read the author's blog post before I began. There are some rather horrifying descriptions of Cesar's gang activity and in some ways he never seems to quite get how wrong his brother's offense was, in spite of guilt over activities in which he took part, so I'd rate this somewhere between PG-13 and R.

Other reviews:

My Friend Amy

Musings of a Bookish Kitty

The Novel World

One of my favorite photos from our vacation in Alaska:

I finished 31 Hours by Masha Hamilton, last night, so I'm going to try to hammer out a review of that story, next. Gotta run to pick up kiddo. Hope everyone's having a happy Monday!

Another *Giveaway* - Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with Hatchette

Sign-up for this giveaway is now closed! Winners' list coming soon!

Since one of my giveaways is about to end and opportunity knocked . . .


here's another! I'm so excited to be a part of this celebration! Hispanic Heritage Month takes place from September 15 - October 15. And, Hatchette Book Group loves celebrating by spreading some serious book joy around.

5 lucky winners will receive ALL 5 BOOKS. Coolness. I mean, really. What more could you ask for, except maybe world peace and chocolate without slavery?

The rules:

1. Leave an email address. Are you getting tired of hearing that? Well, just develop a habit, okay? No email, no entry. And, that would be soooo sad for you.

2. Yes, yes. Think like a North American and be one. You've heard that before, if you've joined in on one of my recent giveaways. Hatchette's giveaways are strictly limited to the United States and Canada. No P.O. boxes.

3. Spread the word and leave a link to your post or tweet for an extra entry. It's worth talking about for an extra chance, in my humble opinion.

4. Is there a book you've recently read that you found so entertaining/engrossing/gripping that you absolutely could not put it down? Tell me the title and author for another entry.

That's it! Pretty easy, eh? The drawing will be held on October 15, 2009.

And, don't forget to drop by and sign up for my drawing for 5 copies of The Smart One and The Pretty One, if you haven't. Tune in tomorrow (Sept. 21) to find out everyone's thoughts about my cat's favorite vegetable and to see who won The Way Home by George Pelecanos.

House of Dark Shadows by Robert Liparulo

House of Dark Shadows by Robert Liparulo
Copyright 2008
Thomas Nelson - YA/Suspense
293 pages, incl. excerpt from Watcher in the Woods
Author's website

Looking for something creepy that won't keep you up at night? I've found the book for you: House of Dark Shadows. Be prepared, though because it's just the first book in a series. If you like this installment of the Dreamhouse Kings books, you'll definitely want to read on.

When 15-year-old Xander's family moves away from his lifelong home to a remote town in Northern California, he's frustrated. He has a close-knit family that he loves, but he was content with his life and happy in Pasadena. Leaving his friends and his girlfriend is awful; it seems likely they'll lose touch with 200 miles between them. When the family finds a huge house near Pinedale that has been unoccupied for several decades, Xander has a strange feeling.

Inside the house, it's impossible to tell the location of a sound if someone calls out. And, there are other creepy things that make him hesitant, like giant footprints in the dust of the dining room and the sensation that he's being watched. But, his parents are adamant. They love the house. In short order they clear the house of 30 years of grime and move in.

When Xander and his younger brother David discover that stepping into a closet takes them on a journey across town, they're a little shocked. But, it's the series of doors upstairs that act as portals through time and space that really intrigue them. What they don't realize is that there are dangers lurking behind those doors. What dark secret brought the King family to the house? Will they survive the house and its dangers?

Brittanie reviewed House of Dark Shadows and I immediately put it on my wish list. Wow, am I glad I trust Brittanie! This book was absolutely perfect for the RIP IV. It's suitably creepy and heart-pounding but lacks significant gore (although there are some violent scenes and there's a little gory description, it's nothing this chick couldn't handle) and it's not so frightening that you can't read it at night. I've already got the second book in the Dreamhouse Kings series, Watcher in the Woods, and I'm going to try to bump that one up to read as soon as humanly possible.

5/5 - A quick, adventurous young adult read -- creepy and surprisingly believable in spite of travel through time and space. While the book is the beginning of the series and there's a bit of set-up, House of Dark Shadows never ceased to hold my attention. I whipped through it pretty quickly and hated putting it down when I had to do the usual Mom things.

Kiddo has fried his computer and needs to use mine to work on an English paper, so I hope to be back later tonight to write a second review. But . . . not now. Hope everyone's having a fabulous weekend!

Freaky Friday

Told you those teenagers are loads of fun. Neither of these are mine. Someday, you'll get to see kiddo, again. I thought this photo was a hoot.

Bundle of Trouble by Diana Orgain

Bundle of Trouble by Diana Orgain

Copyright 2009

Berkley Prime Crime - Mystery/Cozy

296 pages

Diana Orgain's website

Brief Summary:

Kate Connolly has her hands full, first preparing for a new baby's arrival and then learning to adjust after her daughter's birth. When the police call to say they think a body pulled from the San Francisco Bay might be her brother-in-law, George, she's concerned. And, when she finds out the victim may have ties to her family, she decides to investigate.

And, the bit where Bookfool expresses a keen desire to bash Blogger:

Okay . . . so . . . I started this review yesterday and I was having trouble concentrating because of an earache (got the antibiotic -- we should return to normality, soon). When I got online to work on it a bit more, last night, the auto-save feature wasn't working and Blogger has this hinky condition that keeps a blogger from highlighting, cutting and pasting her own text . . . miserable. So, if the auto-save feature isn't working and you've done some writing without realizing the auto-save isn't working, you're essentially screwed -- you can't even copy into a separate file. Meaning, I lost my second paragraph. I've decided it wasn't so hot, anyway. Therefore, I'm just going to do a question-answer review for this book.

Self: Hello and welcome to Bookfool Interviews Herself! Today, we're going to ask Bookfool some questions about Bundle of Trouble by Diana Orgain.

[scattered applause and one hacking cough from the back row]

Bookfool: Hi. That was a bit melodramatic.

Self: Hello! Yes it was! We love drama! Action! Exclamation points!! So, Bookfool, how did you acquire Bundle of Trouble and why did you choose to read it now?

Bookfool: I acquired the book via Twitter. Diana Orgain and I are twitterers who follow each other and she asked me if I'd like to read and review her book. I warned her I had a rather large backlog. Diana said That's fine; I can wait. That was about 2 months ago. Last week was really just the right time for a cozy mystery because I needed something quick and fun to read. I don't read mysteries often and I tend to let books call to me when they're ready, if there's not a specific due date. Bundle of Trouble let out a piercing scream, much like a very unhappy baby.

Self: You're kidding about the scream, right?

Bookfool: One could say it was all in my head; but, the book was definitely calling to me.

[Man in the front row points and shouts, "You lie!" Not sure who that was.]

Self: Tell us a little about the book and what you liked about it.

Bookfool: Bundle of Trouble is the first in a new cozy mystery series, a "Maternal Instincts Mystery". Since I've already briefly described the book, I'll stick to what I liked. I thought the mystery in Bundle of Trouble was nicely done, never confusing but with enough threads to keep the pages turning. And, I absolutely loved the fact that Kate Connolly didn't want to go back to her office after her maternity leave ended because that would mean leaving the baby with a caregiver. That's something I can relate to -- the horror at the idea of leaving a baby all day. I couldn't imagine letting someone else see all the firsts, read the stories, put together the puzzles, etc., with my kids. For a good portion of the book, Kate occasionally muses about and works toward figuring out how she can turn snooping into a legitimate private investigation business.

The story is set in San Francisco, where the author lives, and I loved that. San Francisco is nothing short of awesome, in my humble opinion -- a fantastic setting. Because it's an expensive place to live, it also figures into Kate's yearning to stay home with her baby. The Connollys simply can't afford to do without her income, so she's presented with a financial dilemma on top of figuring out how to be a mother and solve a crime (actually, more than one crime). Also, Kate's a listmaker and her lists can be pretty funny.

Self: You sure do talk a lot.

Bookfool: So does my cat.

[Meow, meow, meow noises . . . probably Bookfool, but nobody wants to confess]

Self: Was there anything you disliked about the book?

Bookfool: Yes, a few very petty things. I thought some of the everyday scenes with baby were a little boring. But, I think that was at least in part because this novel sets the scene, being the first in a series. Also, I loved the way Kate referred to her daughter as "jelly bean", "pumpkin pie" and a whole bunch of other cute names. However, I don't recall a single conversation with her spouse in which she said those names aloud. So, when her husband called the baby two of those names in separate conversations, it threw me a bit and I didn't like that. I'd like to have seen a funny conversation that revealed a little bit more depth to the characters. A chat between the parents, in which they call the baby all sorts of silly names, would have been a nice addition. In general, the characters could have stood a bit more dimension.

Otherwise, I really thought Bundle of Trouble was a nice diversion. As I said, I don't read mysteries often, but I like to toss one into the mix on occasion and it was a nice change of pace reading Bundle of Trouble.

Self: Anything else you'd like to say?

Bookfool: The cover is cute. I love that cover.

[scattered applause]

Self: Rating?

Bookfool: It's a good read but because I read so few cozies I don't feel like I can give it a numerical rating. Gradewise, I'd give it a B-. But, I don't do that. If you're a cozy lover, I think you'll enjoy the book. If you're a frustrated new mother, you might enjoy relating to the protagonist. It's a nice start to a series.

Self: And, what do you think of the weather?

Bookfool: It sucks. Muggy, rainy, blecch. Even the cat is disinterested in going outside.

Self: That's bad.

Bookfool: You're telling me. Why is the audience leaving?

Self: I think we're done!! Wait! And, now for our shocking conclusion, we will show you where Bookfool's husband went without her, last week!!!!

Bookfool says to Self: That is so wrong. At this point, things get so freaking confusing that the interview ends and the stragglers look for a Coke machine.

Are you a cozy mystery lover? The best place in the galaxy for cozy fans (in my personal humble opinion) is Not Enough Books. Kris hosts a rocking fine cozy mystery challenge.

In other news . . . I am really, really enjoying the Book Blogger Appreciation Week posts that I've managed to read. I can't wait to join in next year. We've been very fortunate in that the weather has been breaking during swim practice, so we're still doing the swimmy thing. Wahoo for that!

Don't forget! I have two drawings going on, at the moment:

The Way Home by George Pelecanos - drawing ends Sept. 21. And you get to guess my cat's favorite vegetable. What could be more fun?

The Smart One and the Pretty One by Claire LaZebnik - drawing ends Sept. 27. To enter this one, you get to tell me where you would go if you could travel any place on the planet. Because, you know, I'm curious.

I'll have more drawings coming up, soon, 'cause I figure giving away books from Hatchette is a way to channel joy. I'm really into joy channeling.

Happy happy day!

Bookfool with (according to Chris in New Orleans) "cute ears". Hahaha. I just love that.

Sunday Pie - a jumble of bookish stuff that gets tossed into a single post for no apparent reason

Sunday Pie time!

The pie at right is a pie-cosahedron. You can read the explanation for this ingenious mathematical pie-struction at Mathematics & Statistics at Williams College.

For today's Sunday Pie, I'm going to participate in a meme that's been going around. Most recently, I read and enjoyed Wendy's version. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Instructions: Using only books you have read this year (2009), cleverly answer these questions. Try not to repeat a book title.

Describe Yourself: Nothing but Trouble (Susan May Warren)

How do you feel: Sometimes My Heart Pushes My Ribs (Ellen Kennedy)

Describe where you currently live: In the Sanctuary of Outcasts (Neil White)

If you could go anywhere, where would you go: Offworld (Robin Parrish)

Your favorite form of transport: Monkey, Monkey, Monkey (Cathy MacLennan)

Your best friend is: SLOB (Ellen Potter)

What's the weather like: A Summer Affair (Elin Hilderbrand)

Favourite time of day: As Shadows Fade (Colleen Gleason)

What is life to you: I Choose to be Happy (Missy Jenkins)

Your fear: Vanishing (Candida Lawrence)

What is the best advice you have to give: Don't Shoot! We're Republicans! (Jack Owens)

Thought for the Day: During My Nervous Breakdown I Want to Have a Biographer Present (Brandon Scott Gorrell)

How I would like to die: On the Run (Bill Myers)

My soul's present condition: Christianish (Mark Steele)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BBAW Silence:

I haven't managed to post about BBAW because of time constraints. This is a priority issue and has nothing to do with my desire to participate. I missed out on BBAW, last year, and was really looking forward to this year's events. In fact, I signed up, was nominated for a few categories (but not short-listed - many thanks to those who nominated me!!) and have been looking forward to visiting other blogs. However -- and this is a huge however -- my son is a senior and we're in the midst of his last swim season ever. His shoulder is keeping him from competing well (which is actually driving him crazy, but we've found no solution) and he doesn't plan to continue swimming competitively after the season ends. Also, I'll be an empty-nester in 2010.

For those reasons, I feel like swim season has to take priority over Book Blogger Appreciation Week (and blog-hopping, for now). I'd rather spend my time at the pool, hanging out with a great bunch of teenagers and snapping their pictures than miss out on the last chance I'll ever have to do so. I'm going to really miss the joy of swim season when my son goes off to college; the swim parents and swimmers are among the friendliest and most open people I've met in our area. Plus, they don't mind if I get crazy and snap photos of things like this:

At least . . . I hope they don't mind. I will continue to post book reviews, as I'm able.

Just finished reading:

Bundle of Joy by Diana Orgain

Walked into my home, this week:

Bleak History by John Shirley (via Paperback Swap)

The Interrogative Mood by Padgett Powell (ARC, thanks to Greg Mortimer & Ecco Books)

Special Topics in Calamity Physics by Marsha Pessl (via Paperback Swap)

Troublesome Creek by Jan Watson (via Paperback Swap)

The Smart One and the Pretty One by Claire LeZebnick (thanks to Hatchette Books - see my drawing post, here)

The Treasures of Venice by Loucinda McGary (surprise from Sourcebooks)

Century (Book 1): Ring of Fire by P. D. Baccalario (ARC, thanks to Random House)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

One of my favorite photos of the week, taken at the local El Sombrero restaurant:

I usually refuse to take my son to a restaurant directly after swim practice (because, among other reasons, he needs to immediately ice down his bad shoulder) but on that particular day I forgot to eat lunch, so we were both starving. I had the camera with me because we drove straight from practice and to stave off boredom I was snapping the lights, the tile, the coke glasses . . . you name it. Along came the waiter and he said, "Cheese." So, I turned the camera to him and he posed. I love it when people do that! And doesn't he have a terrific smile?

Off to read! Wishing everyone a fabulous week!

Bookfool, savoring a quiet moment in the house

The Greatest Knight by Elizabeth Chadwick

The Greatest Knight: The Unsung Story of the Queen's Champion
by Elizabeth Chadwick
Copyright 2009
Sourcebooks Casablanca - Historical Fiction
529 pages
Author's website

I've mentioned that I refer to myself as History Stupid several times on this blog. It's because I'm so shy on knowledge of history that I particularly appreciate an author who is known for her historical accuracy. There will always be assumptions made and gaps filled out in fictional stories about historical events or characters, but it's great knowing when you're actually learning about real people and events in a manner that brings reality to color and life without sending you down the garden path.

That's a round-about way of saying I think I've found a new author (new to me, that is) with whom I am completely besotted. I'm already plotting to locate every bit of historical fiction Elizabeth Chadwick has ever written. Pray my library loves me enough to carry her books because we're still in overload, here, in spite of several months of purging.

The Greatest Knight tells the story of William Marshal, a knight who became a favorite of Eleanor of Aquitaine and served under several kings during the years when England and Normandy were closely aligned. Frequent skirmishes over land holdings, castles and power took place in both England and France during this time period.

When the book opens, William is trying to sleep on a pallet in a drafty part of a dining hall with the rest of the knights. He's brand knew to knighthood and shows himself to be a courageous, albeit slightly reckless, knight during his first battle. From these crude beginnings, he shapes into one of the greatest knights of the Middle Ages.

I'm going to copy the description from Paperback Swap because I'm not certain I can describe it as well:

Based on fact, this is the story of William Marshal, the greatest knight of the Middle Ages, unsurpassed in the tourneys, adeptly manoeuvring through the colourful, dangerous world of Angevin politics to become one of the most powerful magnates of the realm and eventually regent of England. From minor beginnings and a narrow escape from death in childhood, William Marshal steadily rises through the ranks to become tutor in arms to the son of King Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine. A champion on the tourney field, William must face the danger and petty jealousy targeting a royal favourite. Dogged by scandal, banished from court, his services are nevertheless sought throughout Europe and when William's honour is vindicated, he returns to court and wins greater acclaim and power than before. A crusader and the only knight ever to unhorse the legendary Richard Coeur de Lion, William's courage and steadfastness are rewarded by the hand in marriage of Anglo-Irish heiress Isobel de Clare, 19 years old, the grandaughter of kings and his equal in every way.

I loved the detail and the senses in this book. When William Marshal was filthy from rough conditions at battle or tournaments, there was always this sensation that you could smell the dirt and sweat, hear the clanking of metal, feel the cold and damp. The Greatest Knight is absolutely packed with the senses. Chadwick also is skilled at writing just the perfect amount of description and interspersing it with dialogue. The characterization is magnificent, as well, although there were times that I wondered if William was just a little bit too perfect.

5/5 - LOVED this book. This is apparently the second in a series of 4 books and I will definitely want to read them all. There's a slight bit of graphic sex, so it comes with a family warning. I don't think it's anything that will corrupt the kiddies for life if they get hold of it, though.

There's some interesting info about William Marshal at Brits at Their Best.

My posts are a bit brief, lately, at least partly because of swim season. I spend a lot of time taking photos at the pool and even more time deleting, cropping and uploading the best photos to a completely separate blog (with a different password, so I can't approve messages or work on book reviews while I'm loading photos . . . kind of a pain, but I thought the whole Bookfool persona would confuse the other swim parents). I'm sure I'll be back to my normal chatty self in about a month or so. Swim season is very short, this year.

One hour till pick-up time. I'm off to take a 20-minute nap. Happy reading!

Sleepy old Bookfool

Abide with Me by John H. Parker and Paul Seawright (review)

Abide with Me: A Photographic Journey Through Great British Hymns by John H. Parker
Photographs by Paul Seawright
Book and CD
Copyright 2009
New Leaf Press - History/Photography
112 pages, incl. bibliography and photo index

The subtitle of Abide with Me pretty much says it all: "A photographic journey through great British hymns." Author John Parker and photographer Paul Seawright traveled around Great Britain and Wales seeking out the origins of well-known hymns and their composers. Abide with Me is packed with beautiful photos of churches, graveyards, villages, home interiors and scenery. Each chapter describes a particular writer and how he or she entered the world of hymn writing, what they did for a living (not all were ministers), how they were influenced by their contemporaries, families, and surroundings.

I was particularly fascinated to find that ministers often wrote songs to accompany their sermons, keeping the verses in line with their theme for the day and, in the process, often becoming prolific songwriters.

Abide with Me is slender but it's coffee-table quality. It comes with a CD of hymns, which were recorded in a form as close to the original as possible. The music is rich and lovely. It's a very relaxing CD to listen to -- so much so that I've never made it to the end. I get nice and sleepy and turn it off. I've listened to the majority of the songs, though, and they're sung a cappella by, I believe, two separate choral groups, although I don't have the CD handy to check that tidbit.

I have a few minor complaints about the book. The photographs aren't captioned; instead there's an index of photographs in the back of the book. I hate flipping back and forth, so that annoyed me. Also, the text and photographs don't match as well as I'd hoped. For example, when the author describes a Norman tower overlooking the graveyard where a songwriter/minister is buried or speaks of a glorious stained-glass window that depicts the subject's life, I expect to see photographs of whatever is discussed on that page. The text usually only takes up 1/2 to 1/4 of each page and there's often one large photo with three more inset, so laying out the photos to closely align with the text could have been easily accomplished. Instead, you may end up looking at some building that exists in the town where a minister lived and end up having to flip to the back of the book to see if the Norman tower is in the book at all.

Minor complaints aside, I thought the bios were fascinating and I enjoyed reading about the author's and photographer's experiences with people who kindly gave tours of various buildings and helped to bring historical reference points to life. Amazon sells the book with its accompanying CD for a mere $14.99. At that price and given the quality of the music and photographs, it's a great bargain and would be excellent for gift-giving.

4/5 - Very good. Lovely photos, interesting text, fantastic music. On-page identification of photos and a layout that made relevant photos fit the text a little closer would have made the book even better.

Abide With Me by Parker and Seawright (sneak peek)

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

Today's Wild Card author is:

John H. Parker

AND

Paul Seawright

and the book:

Abide With Me (Includes a CD of 20 wonderful, favorite British hymns.)

New Leaf Publishing Group/New Leaf Press; Har/Com edition (May 1, 2009)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

John Parker, Professor of English at Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee, has taught Shakespeare and other literary classes there for twenty-eight years. He holds the M.A. and Ph.D. in English from the University of Tennessee, and also the Master of Arts in Religion from Harding Graduate School of Religion in Memphis. At Lipscomb and previously at Freed-Hardeman University in Henderson, Tennessee, he has also taught classes in the Bible.

Paul Seawright is currently Chair of Photography at the University of Ulster. Previously he was Dean of Art Media and Design at the University of Wales, Newport, and the Director of the Centre for Photographic Research. His photographs have been exhibited worldwide and are held in many museum collections including The Tate London, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Art Institute of Chicago, International Centre of Photography New York, Portland Art Museum, the Art Gallery of Ontario and the Irish Museum of Modern Art.

Paul has a Ph.D. in Photography from the University of Wales and was awarded a personal chair in 2002. He is an honorary Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society, currently chairing their Fellowship panel. He is also a fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts. He has published six books.


Visit the authors' website.

Product Details:

List Price: $19.99
Hardcover: 112 pages
Publisher: New Leaf Publishing Group/New Leaf Press; Har/Com edition (May 1, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0892216905
ISBN-13: 978-0892216901

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:

Abide With Me
A Photographic Journey Through Great British Hymns


Text by John H. Parker

Photography by Paul Seawright

Prologue


The focus of Abide with Me is place—the places in England and Wales where the great Britishhymns were written and where the stories of the men and women who wrote them unfolded: Olney (“Amazing Grace”), Brighton (“Just As I Am”), Stoke Newington (“When I Survey the Wondrous Cross”), Broadhembury (“Rock of Ages”), and many others. This book shows and tells about those places and what you would see if you visited them.


On the north coast of England, silhouetted against the gray sky and the dark sea, stand the ruins of Whitby Abbey. There in the sixth century a common sheep herder named Caedmon wrote the earliest surviving hymn written in English. In the centuries following—Middle Ages, Renaissance, Eighteenth Century, Nineteenth Century—men

and women devoted to Christ and blessed with the gift of poetry composed the words of the English hymns sung in Britain, in America, and across the globe, generation after generation—sung in times of happiness, grief, joy, fear, and wonder. Here are the places those writers lived and their life stories.


Join us now for a stroll through the quaint Cotswolds, the beautiful Lake District, bustling

London, and the glorious poppy-bedecked English countryside as you meet the great minds whose works have inspired, uplifted, and carried us through the tragedies and triumphs of our lives. It’s a journey of the heart and soul—a meandering through your own spirituality.


Speaking to one another in psalms

and hymns and spiritual songs.

Ephesians 5:19

Lost & Found


Olney, on the Ouse River in Northampton, England, not far from Cambridge, was a small farming and crafts village in the late eighteenth century. As we drive into the market square this Sunday afternoon, we find a bustling and cheerful town with two popular claims. One is the annual pancake race on Shrove Tuesday when housewives run 415 yards from the marketplace to the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul, each carrying a pan holding a pancake, which she flips on crossing the finish line. The other is the curate and preacher for that church from 1764–1780, John Newton (1725–1807), and the vicarage, where he wrote perhaps the most popular hymn of all time, “Amazing Grace.”


The church was expanded during those years to accommodate the crowds who came to hear John, and its square tower still rises over the Ouse River. The sanctuary is large and impressive, and a stained-glass window commemorates the preacher and his hymn. Still, time has encroached a bit. His pulpit is now somewhat pushed back into a corner, though John Newton’s Pulpit is proudly displayed along one edge. John’s rather smallish portrait hangs on the stone buttress of one wall, sharing space between a fire extinguisher and a bulletin board where his name promotes a ministry in Sierra Leone. But after 230 years, it’s still John Newton whose story and hymn live on here.


John was born to a master mariner, who was often away at sea, and a mother who taught him Bible lessons and the hymns of Isaac Watts (see pages 38-41). But she died

when he was only six years old. At age eleven, after a few years of living with relatives or attending boarding school, he began sailing with his father.


In time John fell in love with Mary Catlett, daughter of friends of his mother, but in 1744 he was forced to serve on a naval ship. He records that while watching England’s coast fade as the ship sailed away, he would have killed either himself or the captain except for his love of Mary.


Later John managed to join the crew of a slave trade ship, the brutal traffic he so much regretted in later years. This life blotted out his early religious training and led him into bad behavior. Finally, though, when a fierce March storm one night in 1748 threatened to sink his ship, he prayed for the first time in years. And for the rest of his life he regarded every March 21 as the anniversary of his conversion. Relapses occurred, but after a serious illness he committed himself to God, returned to England, and married

Mary in 1750.


John worked for a while in civil service in the region of Yorkshire. But soon he became popular as a lay preacher, developing friendships with George Whitefield and John

Wesley, and began to consider the ministry. Although he studied biblical languages and theology privately, he received ordination in the Church of England only after completing

his autobiography, Authentic Narrative, in 1764, an account that caused influential religious leaders to recognize his spiritual commitment. The book was soon translated into several languages.


John’s principal sponsor for priesthood, Lord William Dartmouth, helped arrange the station for John in Olney, and for the next sixteen years he lived in the vicarage and

preached at St. Peter’s and St. Paul’s and in surrounding parishes. His religious devotion, remarkable personal history, and natural poetic skills gave John the gifts and preparation for writing hymns—especially one great hymn—but he needed a circumstance to prompt him. That came in 1767 when William Cowper moved to Olney.


William was one of England’s fine eighteenth-century poets, producing The Task (1784) and translations of Homer. He received an excellent literary education at Westminster

School in London and, at his father’s wish, studied for the bar. But he lived an often-miserable life. Depression, his distaste for the law, poverty, and an ill-fated romance with his cousin Theadora Cowper ruined any chances of happiness. More than once he attempted suicide.


During this trauma William found relief in the home of friends first made in Huntingdon—Morley and Mary Unwin, a religious and wealthy couple. When Morley died from a fall from his horse in April of 1767, Mary moved to Olney with her daughter Susanna to be near the renowned preacher John Newton. In fact, only an orchard stood between the rear yard of their house, Orchard Side, and John’s vicarage. Soon, William also came to Olney and moved in with them. The two poets became close friends, and by 1771 they were collaborating on what became one of England’s most successful hymnals, The Olney Hymns.


On a bright June afternoon we stroll with Elizabeth Knight in the garden of Orchard Side, now the Cowper & Newton museum, where she has been curator for more than thirty years. Nestled in the rows of flowers is an odd little summerhouse in which William gazed through its side and rear windows. Here he wrote most of the hymns in his part of the collection. After another lapse into depression, he wrote few others, but by that time he had composed his great hymns, “There is a Fountain” and “God Moves in a Mysterious Way.”


Leaving the Orchard Side garden, we walk through the site of the original orchard, to the back of the two-story brick vicarage, and look up to the last dormer window on the top right. Here, in this room, during the last two weeks of December 1772, John Newton wrote “Amazing Grace.”


In his book Amazing Grace: The Story of America’s Most Beloved Hymn (Harper Collins, 2002), music historian Steve Turner records that John routinely wrote hymns to accompany his sermons and composed “Amazing Grace” in preparation for a New Year’s Day sermon on January 1, 1773. He also observes that the words of the hymn evidently paraphrase entries from John’s notebook. For example, the entry “Millions of unseen dangers” is rendered “through many dangers, toils, and snares” in the song. Turner gives these illustrations of Newton’s use of the Scriptures in the hymn:


Newton embroidered biblical phrases

and allusions into all his writing.


The image of being lost and found alludes to the parable

of the prodigal son, where the father

is quoted as saying in Luke 15:24,


“For this my son was dead, and is alive again;

he was lost, and is found.”


His confession of wretchedness may have been drawn

from Paul’s exclamation in Rom. 7:24,

“O wretched man that I am!

Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?”


The contrast of blindness and sight refers directly

to John 9:25, when a man healed by Jesus says,

“One thing I know, that, whereas I was blind,

now I see.”


Newton had used this phrase in his diary

during his seafaring days when he wrote on

August 9, 1752,


“The reason [for God’s mercy] is unknown to

me, but one thing I know, that whereas

I was blind, now I see.”


Turner observes that this day of the introduction of “Amazing Grace,” in Lord Dartmouth’s Great House in Olney, was also the last that the despondent William Cowper came to church.


John and William published The Olney Hymns in 1779. The following year, 1880, William Cowper died, and John accepted a pulpit position at St. Mary Woolnoth Church in London. Audiences continued large here as well. Visitors today can pass through a wrought-iron gate and coffee shop at the entrance, walk through the church doors into the sanctuary, and view the ornate pulpit where the slave-trader turned preacher delivered sermons for the next twenty-seven years, becoming a major figure in the

evangelical portion of the Anglican Church. He died on December 21, 1807, and was buried with Mary at St. Mary Woolchurch in London. They were re-interred at the Church

of St. Peter and St. Paul in Olney in 1893. And he is primarily remembered for these touching words:


Amazing Grace (1772)

Ephesians 2:8-9


Amazing grace! How sweet the sound

That saved a wretch like me!

I once was lost, but now am found;

Was blind, but now I see.


’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,

And grace my fears relieved;

How precious did that grace appear

The hour I first believed!


The Lord has promised good to me,

His Word my hope secures;

He will my Shield and Portion be,

As long as life endures.


The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,

The sun forbear to shine;

But God, who called me here below,

Will be forever mine.

August Reads in Review (2009)

My August Reads - with links to reviews, where applicable. Note that I separated my YA reviews and posted them at my alter ego's blog, Twinkletoes Reviews. I planned on keeping that review site totally private, but since I always end up discovering that I can only handle one blog at a time, it may not last (either way, I think I'll limit it to YA) and I might as well link up to the reviews Sam has written, right? Right. I am Sam. Sam I am. There's a story attached to the name, but we'll save that for another day. This is supposed to be a summary of my August reads.

Abbreviations:

YA - Young Adult
NF - Non-fiction
CT - Christian theme or elements

Ch - Children's

PR - Promotional item

HF - Historical Fiction

M - Memoir

The Missionary by Carmichael and Lambert (CT)- A missionary who has strong opinions about the government in . . . I think it's Venezuela . . . agrees to play a small role in a coups and gets himself into a boatload of trouble. I thought this one was a stretch and the missionary was too wimpy. People have to rescue him; he never figures out how to help himself and his family.

Ex Libris by Anne Fadiman (NF)- One woman's tales of her reading life. This is an extremely fun read, but I'm going to have to read it a second time and keep a vocabulary notebook. My gosh, that woman has a humongous vocabulary!!

Paper Towns by John Green (YA) - After a night of helping his neighbor friend play some pranks on people who've upset her, a teenage boy feels like it's his job to find the girl when she goes missing (based on clues from Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman, if I remember right). Green's trademark style - sharp kids with angst. Not my favorite but I do love his writing. Many thanks to Chris in New Orleans for my copy of Paper Towns!!

June Bug by Chris Fabry (CT) - When June Bug and her dad are stuck in Colorado while they wait for an RV part, she sees a missing child photo that makes her question everything her dad has ever said. This was one of the best books I've read all year, a fantastic story of love with a mystery. The ending made me sob, but it was perfect for the book. It would make a *great* movie.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by (PR) - A 63-page bit of promotional material about the new Hitchhiker's book, And Another Thing by Eoin Colfer (release date is October 12), with quotes from the Douglas Adams book, info about the new one and how Adams' wife hand-picked the author. I figured I read it; I'll count it.

Evernight by Claudia Gray (YA) - The daughter of two vampires falls in love with a vampire slayer while attending an exclusive school for vampires that has unaccountably started accepting outsiders. I really enjoyed this one, although I thought she took a bit too long getting to the vampire bit (which was mentioned on the cover, so . . . )

The Daddy Long-Legs Blues by Ornstein & Kopelke (Ch)- A daddy long-legs spider jives around town. He's cute and he doesn't look very spidery. Loved the illustrations. It's best if you sing it, actually. I put it to music and sang it to the cat. I know. I'm so weird.

All the World by Scanlon & Frazee (Ch) - A very easy-language rhyming book with gorgeous illustrations that reminded me of Virginia Lee Burton's books. This would be good for preschoolers and beginning readers as it has very simple words.

Chicken Dance by Tammi Sauer & Dan Santat (Ch) - This one is my favorite of the 3 kids' books I read in August. Two chickens enter a talent contest and find their talent lies in just being chickens. Fantastic illustrations and it's hilarious. I'm keeping this one for future grandkids. Seriously, I can't part with it.

Mr. Darcy, Vampyre by Amanda Grange (HF)- Lizzy and Mr. Darcy marry. He won't go to bed with her. They go to Europe instead of the Lake District. Told from Lizzy's perspective and with the most ridiculous ending, ever. This one was a bit of a yawn, at times, but there were some interesting historical tidbits.

Hugh and Bess by Susan Higginbotham (HF) - A medieval romance. Bess must wed Hugh, a man who is wealthy but whose father and grandfather were killed as traitors. They move from castle to castle and slowly their love grows, then . . . the plague hits. I really loved this one. It's not extremely detailed but I just loved the story.

The Woodstock Story Book by Linanne Sackett and Barry Levine (NF) - Seriously, just what it sounds like. The Woodstock event is described in verse and photographs. I was surprised how much I enjoyed it. Kiddo thought the naked guy with the sheep was a hoot.

TSI: The Gabon Virus by McCusker and Larimore (CT) - A group of religious fanatics are infected with a strain of ebola and they drink poison to prevent its spread, but one boy fakes drinking and runs away. Yeeks! Pandemic alert! A team of scientists investigate a medieval plague in England in order to try to find a cure. Too many coincidences made the ending of this book too trite and perfect, but I just ignored that. It was awfully fun reading and one of my favorites.

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (YA) - A toddler whose family is murdered crawls to a graveyard, where he is adopted, reared and protected by the ghosts. I liked this one a lot, although I don't quite get why it won a Newbery. The beginning is icky.

Christianish by Mark Steele (NF/CT) - This is a book about how Christians have gotten kind of arrogant and created their own rules which aren't necessarily what the Bible says we're supposed to do. The author is a Christian humorist, so the anecdotes are hilarious but he lost me a little in the theology. I had to concentrate. In general, I really liked this book.

New Tricks by David Rosenfelt - An Andy Carpenter mystery. When a wealthy man is murdered, Andy has to determine who gets custody of the dead man's dog. Then, one of those people gets blown up and the dog becomes the clue to untangling the mystery. The usual Andy Carpenter - funny and not too complex.

Don't Shoot! We're Republicans! by Jack Owens (NF/M) - The memoir of an FBI agent, now retired, who began working for the FBI in the 1960s and was on the first federal S.W.A.T. team, spied a little during the Cold War, stormed a prison, helped catch a serial child killer. Ooooh, this one was good. And, the author has a great sense of humor. Another favorite.

Darling Jim by Christian Moerk - A dark crime novel set in Ireland. I liked the writing but the story is dark and twisted (not my personal favorite; I'm into sweetness and light). However, I loved the Irish setting, thought the writing was lovely and I'm anxious to see what the author comes up with next.

Secret Society by Tom Dolby (YA) - A young adult novel about 3 teenagers who are inducted into a secret society in which extraordinarily wealthy people open doors for their young members and keep the wealth going. But, you can't turn down membership and woe betide the young members who don't fit in. This one was a serious let-down. I've loaned my ARC to a teenager, so we'll see if I'm just too old for it.

Godmother by Carolyn Turgeon - subtitled "The Secret Cinderella Story" (I think; I already sent my copy to Nymeth), the vast majority of this book is the magical tale of an elderly woman who was Cinderella's fairy godmother but was cast to Earth after she screwed up. She works in an antiquarian bookstore and thinks she's found a way to atone for her mistake. But, the ending takes the entire premise and changes everything. The ending was awful!!! I loved the rest of the book, so I'm mentally rewriting the ending.

The Eternal Smile by Gene Luen Yang - A graphic novel with three separate stories, by the author of American Born Chinese (which I loved). You can never tell what this guy has up his sleeve. There's a man who lives in a fantasy world and imagines himself a prince, a frog who stars in a reality show, and a meek office worker who answers a spam from a "Nigerian prince". All have really interesting twist endings. I didn't like the first one, though.

Enthusiasm by Polly Shulman (YA) - A fluffy young adult novel about two friends, one of whom decides she wants to find her Mr. Darcy after reading Pride and Prejudice and comes up with a scheme to find true love by crashing a dance at an exclusive boys' school. There was a bit of strange repetitive lingo that threw me (I've never heard a teenager say "crisp" instead of "cool") but I loved everything else about this book. It's funny and sweet and silly. Thanks to Care for sending me Enthusiasm!!

Visions of America by Joseph Sohm (NF/Photography) - A picture book by a photographer whose passion was the yearning to photograph "democracy". I had a little trouble with his concept and I don't think his text was always accurate, but the photos are phenomenal. It is one whopper of a book - huge and heavy. The layout's a little cluttery but . . . the photos. Seriously. Wonderful. I could learn a ton from that guy, if he'd just drop by to give me a few hints.

Whoa! I counted 23 books. Of course, that includes three children's books, a graphic novel and a promotional book (which came with a towel that says, "Don't Panic!", hahaha) but still . . . even without those, I read 18 books. No wonder I need to lose weight. 5469 pages. Diet time, for sure.

July Reads in Review (2009)

My July Reads are a wee bit late, as usual. Links are provided to full reviews, if applicable.

Abbreviations:

YA - Young Adult

NF - Non-fiction

CT - Christian theme or elements

Cousin Kate by Georgette Heyer - A gothic romance with a really creepy family and the typical bouncy heroine. Not my favorite; it was a little uneven. But, I always like Heyer.

Valley of the Shadow by Tom Pawlik (CT)- A totally thrilling book about a man whose soul ends up in a place called the Interworld (between life and heaven or hell) and remembers the other people who were with him, when he comes out of his coma. Leaps back and forth between Interworld, where this guy is being chased by creepy black demon things, and the real world, where one man is trying to save several people from hell. Kiddo and I both loved this one.

The Castaways by Elin Hilderbrand - When a husband and wife (one couple in a group of 4 couples who called themselves "The Castaways" because they all "washed up" in Nantucket) drown, a tangle of lies, affairs and the truth about their deaths is revealed.

During My Nervous Breakdown I Want to Have a Biographer Present by Brandon S. Gorrell - Quirky poetry.

Through the Fire by Shawn Grady (CT)- When a firefighter makes a mistake that causes a rookie's injury, he's suspended. He travels to Mexico because his love life is also falling apart, but then he's called back to work because of a string of arsons. Part romance, part mystery, a little literary with a Christian theme. I loved this because of the fire scenes (the author's a real firefighter/paramedic). There's a part at the beginning that's a little slow, but it picks up.

Shimmer by Eric Barnes - A company built on a Ponzi scheme is on the verge of collapse. I particularly loved the dialogue in this one. The tech stuff went a little over my head, but in general this was a fun read because of the characters and their interaction.

The Power of Praying for Your Adult Children by Stormie O'Martian (NF) - a tour book that I thought was going to be so dull when I started reading, but it turned out to have some pretty good advice.

Overheard in New York by S. Morgan Friedman and Michael Malice (NF) - A book of snippets of conversation overheard in New York City (on the subway, in stores, wherever). This originated as a website. There are some funny bits, but the vast majority are kind of obnoxious. I'd hate to have a small child in NYC if a lot of people talk like that!!!

The Sword and the Flute by Mike Hamel (YA) - A young adult fantasy about . . . actually, I'm not sure what it was about. This one didn't stick with me.

The Myrtles Plantation by Frances Kermean (NF) - Ghosties!! A woman who lived in a Louisiana plantation shares stories of her paranormal experiences. I liked it, although I only believed *some* of her stories.

The Imposter's Daughter by Laurie Sandell (NF) - A graphic memoir (meaning it's told in cartoons) about Sandell's quest to find out the truth about her lying father's history, her ill-fated romance, life as an interviewer of big stars for Glamour magazine and her addiction to Ambien and alcohol. I actually liked this one more than I thought I would. Lots of naked cartoon people in it, though.

God*Stories by Andrew Wilson (NF)- A British minister/theologist's retelling and explanation of some major Bible stories, focusing on the Gospels. I absolutely loved this book because it explained some things that I never understood, before.

The Plight of the Darcy Brothers by Marsha Altman - A totally wild continuation of Altman's Pride & Prejudice spin-off that would probably make Jane roll over in her grave, but immensely entertaining. Altman is really great at keeping the light, humorous tone set by the real Jane.

Sweetwater Run by Jan Watson (CT) - The fourth book in a series set in late 19th-century Kentucky. When Dim Whitt steals back his own mule and gets arrested, his wife has to conquer her fears and learn to fend for herself. There are all sorts of things going on in this book and it was my favorite of the month. Absolutely loved this one.

Offworld by Robin Parrish (CT)- In the not-too-distant future, a crew of astronauts returning from Mars crash-land on Earth and find it completely empty. No people, no animals, no bugs. The only clue to what happened is in Houston, so they head there and find a single human . . . and then something or someone tries to stop them from finding answers. Quite a wild ride. I had a little trouble with the ending but I thought the book was very good.

That's it for July: 15 books, 4921 pages. July was a really enjoyable reading month. Next up will be my August reviews, I hope, a sneek peek post (and hopefully a review to follow) of Abide With Me, and a review of The Greatest Knight.

Vanishing by Candida Lawrence

Vanishing by Candida Lawrence

Copyright 2009

Unbridled Books - Nonfiction/Memoir

275 pages

Hmm. Ever have trouble putting your thoughts together for, like, 4 or 5 days after you finish a book? I feel that way about Vanishing. Candida Lawrence is, from what I gather, a writer who writes only essays about her life experiences. Vanishing is the fourth of her books.

So, why am I having trouble gathering my thoughts? I think because this book ran hot and cold, for me. The first couple of stories . . . I don't know how to put it other than to say that I took an immediate dislike to the writer. But, then as I continued reading I softened toward her a bit. Unlike the most recent memoir I read prior to Vanishing (Don't Shoot! We're Republicans!), I never did get the sensation that, "This is the kind of person I would love to get to know." I think the moment that I began to feel as if I was just tolerating the author might have been during the essay in which she was preparing to leave her California home as a nearby fire threatened. While trying to decide what to take with her, she considered taking her daughter's cat but leaving behind the new kittens because the cat could always have more. Then, she pondered the inevitable tears if the house were to burn with the kittens inside and changed her mind. The house didn't burn, but my opinion of the author was left in ashes.

Second, as I read one of the final essays (it may have been the final story) I realized that all the way through the book I'd thought Jack -- a man who remained in her life, off and on, for decades -- was also her ex-husband. Nope, not so. In fact, I don't believe the ex was named until that final chapter. So, I closed the book feeling as if I had only understood a small portion of it.

Still, I wouldn't say, "Don't read this book." I personally found the author unlikeable, but that's at least in part because her morals and values are so far removed from my own. That's obviously not going to be the case for everyone. I did think her writing was a little too artistic for my taste, as well. In a memoir, I like a straightforward style and a sense of humor. Sometimes I wasn't certain what was going on, but I think it was simply a matter of not quite getting her personal style.

2.5/5 - Disappointing. Didn't like the author's personality or her writing style, although some of the individual essays were very, very interesting. In one case, I wished I could call her up and say, "Did this really happen?" because the tale was so surreal and terrifying that I almost had myself convinced it was fiction. This book has some explicit scenes and is not family friendly.

Interesting sight of the week:

When I arrived at the pool, one day, these fellows had just finished replacing a set of stadium light bulbs and were waiting for their ride, which was attached to a crane. Coolness. They actually made it into the paper, although I didn't see the newspaper photographer.

I am almost finished with The Greatest Knight and already dying to read the further adventures of William Marshal. I think I can safely say I'm a new Elizabeth Chadwick fan.

What are you reading?

Reading and dreaming and watching kids swim

I am focusing on reading The Greatest Knight by Elizabeth Chadwick, right now. It's sooooo good. But, it's also very detailed and I had a tiring week so it may be a few days before I finish it. The only book I finished and didn't manage to review, this week, is Vanishing by Candida Lawrence. I'll try to review as soon as possible. I'm still a few reviews behind, but since all the others were from my personal library there's no hurry. You're not in a hurry, right?

Last night, I had a terrible nightmare. My husband and eldest son decided to swing over a 20-foot gap in a bridge, by rope. I opted not to follow them, as I'm terrified of heights. In fact, I was so frightened that I was crawling along on my stomach on the bridge. Neither husband or son got enough momentum behind their swing and the hubby lost his grip. It was a mile to the ground. As he was falling, I looked over the edge and knowing my husband was falling to his doom I shouted, "I love you!" My husband shouted back, "Sorry! I wasn't paying attention!"

There has to be some deep meaning to that nightmare. The eldest son was left hanging on his rope, looking down. Because my brain couldn't handle watching the husband go splat, I woke up. And, boy was my heart pounding. Anyway, the point of this is that I didn't want to sit around thinking about a nightmare, so I deliberately went right back to sleep and when I did, the next dream was about William Marshal and Eleanor of Aquitaine. William is the protagonist in The Greatest Knight. I have no idea what I dreamed about them, but I didn't wake up with my heart pounding and nobody was falling, so that's good.

This was a bad, bad reading week, a so-so blogging week and another terrible blog-hopping week. But, as always, I had a bit of fun at the pool. One of my favorite things to photograph is that moment when a row of swimmers are in mid-air, diving during timed 50-meter sprints.

Cool, yes? I have always loved watching the swimmers at work and play.

Hope everyone's having a fabulous weekend! I'm off to read.

Bookfool, who has fallen so far behind that she can see her own dust

Another *Giveaway* - The Smart One & The Pretty One

This post is now closed to further entries. Winners list will be posted, soon!

Oh, boy!! Another giveaway!!!

You can read a review of this book at Once Upon a Bookshelf. I have not read it and have not yet acquired a copy. Lately, I just feel like acting like a fairy godmother, sprinkling gifts upon the masses at the behest of Hatchette and the delightful Miriam Parker.

"This sparkling novel about two sisters is both witty and stylish. Even if you don't have a sister of your own, you won't be able to resist LaZebnik's charming take on modern relationships. Read it!"- Holly Peterson, bestselling author of The Manny

TO ENTER:

1. Leave your email address. This is a MUST. No email, no entry, period.

2. Answer this question: If you could choose any place in the world to visit, where would you go? If you've already been there, that's okay. I'm just curious where you'd like to go.

3. Whenever Hatchette does this, you have no choice but to think like a North American and be one. This drawing is limited to residents of the U.S. and Canada. No P.O. Boxes.

4. Spread the word and leave a link to your post or tweet for an extra entry. There will be 5 winners. Wahoo!!

The contest ends at 6 pm on September 27, 2009.

Visions of America by Joseph Sohm

Visions of America: Photographing Democracy by Joseph Sohm
Copyright 2009
Visions of America LLC - Photography/Coffee table
312 pages
Visions of America website

You will seldom find Bookfool at a loss for words, but I've sat down to write about Visions of America three times and stared at the screen with my derrier going numb. I think I'll start by embedding the video about the book because it's excellent.

When I opened the book -- and it's a whopper of a book at approximately a foot square and 312 pages -- I thought, "No big deal; I'll whip this review out in no time." But, it's not just another coffee table book. The author set out to photograph a concept that's a little hard to understand: democracy. I don't think of democracy as something one can photograph and I still have a little trouble with that particular title, even after reading the text, but what I think the author accomplished in the process was a comprehensive view of America, her history, her people, the beauty and ugliness and the vast array of backgrounds represented by this unique nation and its hodge-podge of citizens. It took me a long time to get around to reviewing because it's so beautiful that I wanted to take my time and savor the book. I probably shouldn't have done that, but I certainly did enjoy the reading and viewing.

From the author's letter that came with the book:

“Visions of America” is premised on a single question – “how do you photograph Democracy?” (After all it’s an idea!). My answer unfolds over 1300 images and 21 essays that catapult you on an unforgettable journey across the fifty states.

Although as a photographer, I have been published over 50,000 times in the worldwide media – from the NY Times, National Geographic, CNN, NBC, the Wall Street Journal and in hundreds if not thousands of books (including the cover of John Grisham’s “King of Torts” and the back-cover of Bill Clinton’s “My Life”), “Visions of America” represents my first solo title where I serve as both photographer and author.

Over thirty years, this book was the driving force behind my ongoing adventure to capture the images defining Democracy. Those 30 years could also be translated into 10,000 days of my life; 1,000 nights in a Motel 6; 1,000 nights sleeping in my RV; 200-250 radial tires and 1 million miles by air and car. When I started, I thought it could be done in a few years, but after three decades, I now know better. “Photographing Democracy” can never be completed. In many ways, that’s the point as Democracy itself is a never-ending journey. When I went to press, I tried to have it as contemporary as possible and thus the FINAL pictures added to the book were of President Obama. They were taken two days before the election and the final shots were from the Philadelphia Phillies World Series victory parade with two million people in the streets of Philly.

I'm not going to copy the entire letter, but I thought that section gives you a good understanding of the concept.

The book itself is divided into thirteen chapters. All packed with stunning photos but my absolute favorite chapter is "Photographic Memory - Living and Loving History". The author talks about his desire to somehow inject history into the book but feeling like it was one area he was likely to come up short because you can't simply turn back the clock. And, then he realized he was wrong. Living history exhibits and reenactments of battles and events take place in the United States all the time. So, for this particular chapter, he sought out places and events where he could photograph people dressed in historical costume, reenacting important events in America's history, playing the roles as if they were occurring right now. I think the results are absolutely stunning. Some of those photographs look like he dug through archives to locate photos that fit the time, but they're not. They're all modern, taken during his 30-year quest to photograph democracy.

The photos of our modern military are also quite moving, in my opinion.

Layout-wise, my initial impression was that the book is too cluttery. I'm a little on the ADD side and I prefer a clean layout and large photos to montages. The advantage to that heavy layout is that, as a coffee table book, you can't beat the fact that you could return to it 100 times, flipping through casually, and find something new each time. And, the photographs are so phenomenal that I can't imagine anyone sitting down to look at it and not saying something to the effect of "Ooooh. Ahhh." My husband and son were also impressed, although they're even more twitchy than I am and didn't look at the entire book. Guys.

My rating: 5/5 for the photographs and 4/5 for the layout. My desire for a cleaner layout still hollers at me, but I don't think you can lose by purchasing this book. You could honestly enjoy flipping through it for years.

Visions of America can be purchased (and autographed) through the author's website and will arrive more quickly than if you order through Amazon -- if, say, you're in a hurry to buy a copy for a gift or specifically want that signature. I highly recommend it for gift-giving.

Thanks to the author and Lisa Roe for my review copy.