Memoir Monday on a Friday... A Veteran's Day Review...

Veterans Day pays tribute to all American veterans—living or dead—but especially gives thanks to living veterans who served their country honorably during war or peacetime. One such veteran was Louie Zamperini, who served his country during WWII in the Army Air Corps. His story is written by Laura Hillenbrand in her book, Unbroken. She is an amazing writer. I first read her when she published Seabiscuit, which still is one of my favorite books to this day. I read this amazing review of Unbroken, written by Ann Jonas on the College of Saint Benedict Saint John's University bookstore site, and I think that this review is one of the best I ever read, so I'm sharing it here today...

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand, Book Review by Ann Jonas, Tradebook Buyer - CSB/SJU
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Author Laura Hillenbrand first heard of Louie Zamperini while doing research for her best-selling book Seabiscuit: An American Legend.  She was searching for information on the racehorse Seabiscuit and kept encountering stories about Zamperini, who ran in the 1936 Olympics and then was a World War II POW survivor.  After finishing Seabiscuit, Hillenbrand contacted Zamperini and asked him about his life.  Spellbound, Hillenbrand spent the next seven years reading diaries, letters and unpublished memoirs; she interviewed Zamperini's family, friends, and fellow Olympians, as well as American and Japanese veterans. Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption is Hillenbrand's engrossing narrative of Louie Zamperini's remarkable life. 

While growing up in California in the 1920s, Zamperini was a failing student and was constantly in trouble for fighting and stealing.  His older brother, who was a star athlete and exemplary student, introduced Zamperini to track, hoping that the sport would help straighten him out.  Zamperini idolized his older brother and was transformed from being a juvenile delinquent to a runner in the1936 Summer Olympics.  He had hopes of running a four-minute mile in 1940 Olympics, but, due to the escalating war in Europe, the Summer Games were cancelled.  In early 1941, Zamperini enlisted in the Army Air Corps; by November 1942, he was trained as a bombardier and was ready to go to war. 

Zamperini and his crew were stationed in Oahu, and survived many dangerous missions while dive-bombing in the Pacific.  In late May of 1943, while on a search mission, the engines on their plane failed, and the plane crashed into the Pacific Ocean.  Zamperini and two other crew members survived the plunge and were stranded on a small raft, managing with only a meager amount of fresh water and food. Hillenbrand's depiction of the men's desperate plight is filled with suspense, as the men drifted on the ocean, battling sharks, a machine-gun attack from a Japanese bomber, and a typhoon, along with starvation and tremendous thirst.  After forty seven days, they caught sight of an island.  Their relief quickly turned to anguish, as they were spotted by a Japanese military boat and taken captive. 

For the next two and a half years Zamperini endured incredible cruelty at the hands of the Japanese, both physically and psychologically.  Hillenbrand's vivid descriptions of Zamperini's treatment are difficult to read; the brutality and savagery that took place in the Japanese POW camps are unimaginable.  Zamperini's unbreakable spirit helped him to persevere until August 1945, when his POW camp was liberated. 

After returning to the United States, Zamperini suffered from agonizing dreams, tormented by his desire for revenge.  Hillenbrand writes of the difficulties that Zamperini and many World War II veterans encountered with the then unknown illness, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.  Zamperini turned to alcohol to forget his pain and floundered for a time. With the help of his wife-- and evangelist Billy Graham-- Zamperini turned his life around and became an inspirational speaker.  

Unbroken tells a riveting story of a man with tremendous courage and perseverance.  Hillenbrand herself mustered a great deal of courage and perseverance in order to write her books.  She has suffered from severe chronic fatigue syndrome for the past 24 years and is seldom able to leave her house.  This well-written and meticulously researched book tells an incredible story about an amazing World War II hero.

The Sunday Salon... Meow!

 Welcome to The Sunday Salon! What is The Sunday Salon? Let me tell you... 

"Imagine some university library's vast reading room. It's filled with people--students and faculty and strangers who've wandered in. They're seated at great oaken desks, books piled all around them, and they're all feverishly reading and jotting notes in their leather-bound journals as they go. Later they'll mill around the open dictionaries and compare their thoughts on the afternoon's literary intake.... 

That's what happens at the Sunday Salon, except it's all virtual. Every Sunday the bloggers participating in that week's Salon get together--at their separate desks, in their own particular time zones--and read. And blog about their reading. And comment on one another's blogs. Think of it as an informal, weekly, mini read-a-thon, an excuse to put aside one's earthly responsibilities and fall into a good book."

It's been a long time since my first Sunday Salon Post. Actually my first Sunday Salon was August 2, 2009. Twelve years and a little bit, I'm still here posting on Sundays and joining a group of bloggers that ebbs and flows as life moves us in different directions.

Life has taken me in a different direction again... Oh, I'm still reading and talking books, but now life includes a little stray kitty we named Jazzy. About a month ago as my husband and I were sitting on the back porch, a little fur ball came walking up urgently meowing. She was so small and skinny, and pretty demanding. We had been feeding the feral kitties the last few months, so we had cat food and filled a dish with food, another with water and watched as she ate like there was no tomorrow. She then jumped up on my husbands lap and went to sleep. OMG, what a little cutie. She obviously wasn't feral, but she probably was dumped, which is an unfortunate thing that happens in the boonies where we live.

Jazzy was here the next day too... I saw her sleeping in one of the porch chairs that night... We bought some can food for her... And after a few days she walked into the house to check it all out... Then the temps were going to be pretty cold, really cold for South Carolina, so in she came. We slept on the couch in the living room with her. Our dog Pepper didn't know what a cat was...  The next morning, off she went into the woods in back... but back at night... we started calling her Jazzy, a kind of short version of Jezibel because we thought she may be pregnant... Then I asked my husband if we were going to have her as part of the family... he said she's already part of the family... Now she has food, water, a bed, a cat tree, a leather couch and 2 humans wrapped around her paw. She's had her first vet visit and checked out as pretty healthy and what caused her stomach to look like she was pregnant they think is worms, so add deworming meds on top of everything else. She is an inside/outside cat for now. I think she is slowly acclimating to life inside, but she does love having adventures outside. When she does venture out in the morning she comes when I call her to come back in... just like a dog. lol

All of this cat rearing has me doing lots of research to make sure I am being a good fur mommy and of course that means advice books... in walks Jackson Galaxy... not physically, although I would welcome him with open arms if he happened to show up. His book Total Cat Mojo is exactly what I need! 

Total Cat Mojo: The Ultimate Guide to Life with Your Cat by Jackson Galaxy... This comprehensive cat care guide from the star of the hit Animal Planet show "My Cat from Hell," Jackson Galaxy, shows us how to eliminate feline behavioral problems by understanding cats' instinctive behavior.

Cat Mojo is the confidence that cats exhibit when they are at ease in their environment and in touch with their natural instincts—to hunt, catch, kill, eat, groom, and sleep. Problems such as litter box avoidance and aggression arise when cats lack this confidence. Jackson Galaxy's number one piece of advice to his clients is to help their cats harness their mojo. 

This book is his most comprehensive guide yet to cat behavior and basic cat care, rooted in understanding cats better. From getting kittens off to the right start socially, to taking care of cats in their senior years, and everything in between, this book addresses the head-to-toe physical and emotional needs of cats—whether related to grooming, nutrition, play, or stress-free trips to the vet. 

Published by TarcherPerigee, a division of Penguin Books, in 2017, it's gotten a lot of praise and I am enjoying it! Lots of good advice and love the way he writes! If you have a cat, do yourself a favor and read this book! A full review coming soon.

So, Welcome to The Sunday Salon today and Meow, today is all about Jazzy and how I'm learning Cat.

Happy reading... Suzanne

P.S. Jazzy has her own Instagram Account now, you can follow her at Jazzygirl.Meow .

The Sunday Salon and The Dog Days of Summer... or 3 Great Books featuring Dogs!

Welcome to The Sunday Salon and The Sunday Post! It's that day of the week bloggers from all over the internet get together virtually in a large gathering place called The Sunday Salon and talk books!  And at The Sunday Post, which is a weekly meme hosted by The Caffeinated Book Reviewer, in which more bloggers share their bookish news! And it is officially the end of The Dog Days of Summer... or is it?!

 THE DOG DAYS OF SUMMER.......

Summer is typically referred to as The “Dog Days” of Summer because it’s so hot that it’s not fit for a dog. But where did the phrase really comes from? Well, the Dog Days refers to the period of July 3 through Aug. 11 when the Dog Star, Sirius, rises with the Sun. As a result, the ancients felt that the combination of the brightest luminary of the day (the Sun) and the brightest star of night (Sirius) was responsible for the extreme heat that is experienced during the middle of summer.... So technically it is the end of "The Dog Days of Summer", but is sure is still HOT and Dogs are on my mind. (And that cute guy reading the eBook in the photo is my one and only, BJ, who loved to read with me). For "The Dog Days" and everyone who enjoys great reading with a dog... or about a dog, I'm taking this Sunday to share some great new books that revolve around dogs...

Lily and The Octopus by Steve Rowley... From Kirkus Reviews: A lonely writer and his aging dachshund confront a mythic enemy. If it wasn’t for one thing, Rowley’s debut novel might be viewed as a lightly fictionalized, heart-wrenching account of the author’s last six months with his adored 12-year-old dog, Lily, who succumbed to a brain tumor. That one thing, however, is pretty big. It’s the “octopus” of the title. “It’s Thursday the first time I see it. I know that it’s Thursday because Thursday nights are the nights my dog, Lily, and I set aside to talk about boys we think are cute.…We get into long debates over the Ryans. I’m a Gosling man, whereas she’s a Reynolds gal.” The thing Ted notices that fateful Thursday is an octopus. It “has a good grip and clings tightly over her eye.” For almost all of this novel that thing over Lily’s eye remains an “octopus,” an evil eight-legged sea creature that snarks and schemes and wages battle. Even Ted’s best friend and therapist give in and call it an octopus, and a good deal of plot is built around pretending that it is, in an elaborately developed, magical realist way. This is not the best thing about the book. In fact, it becomes a little much. But more than balancing it are the portrait of Lily in all her bedclothes-burrowing, ice cream–eating, stubborn dachshund glory and the intensity of this particular interspecies bond. The octopus talks to Ted, but Lily does too, for example when she’s licking tears off his face: “THIS! EYE! RAIN! YOU! MAKE! IS! FANTASTIC! I! LOVE! THE! SALTY! TASTE! YOU! SHOULD! MAKE! THIS! EVERY! DAY!” As anyone who has a dachshund knows, this is exactly how they talk. If you have an older dog, or any dog, he or she is going to be licking plenty of eye rain off your face through the final chapters of this book. In his funny, ardent, and staunchly kooky way, Rowley expresses exactly what it’s like to love a dog.

This gem of a book received many accolades prior to publication, and it has since had many rave reviews. It is now on my nightstand waiting for the right moment. And if you like dog stories it should probably be on your TBR list. It was released by Simon & Schuster the beginning of June.

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Jonathan Unleashed by Meg Rosoff... Jonathan Trefoil’s boss is unhinged, his relationship baffling, and his apartment just the wrong side of legal. His girlfriend wants to marry someone just like him—only richer and with a different sense of humor. He doesn’t remember life being this confusing, back before everyone expected him to act like a grown-up.

When his brother asks him to look after his dogs, Jonathan's world view begins to shift. Could a border collie and a cocker spaniel hold the key to life, the universe, and everything? Their sly maneuvering on daily walks and visits to the alluring vet suggest that human emotional intelligence may not be top dog after all. A funny, wise romantic comedy set in Manhattan, Jonathan Unleashed is a story of tangled relationships, friendships, and dogs. Rosoff’s novel is for anyone wondering what to be when they grow up, and how on earth to get there.

This looks like a fun romantic romp. I love the cover, but of course we are not suppose to judge a book by its' cover are we?! (Who made that rule anyway?!?) It loosely reminded me of a kind of Must Love Dogs story, but won't be sure until I've read it, and it's on my wishlist. Published by Viking, it was released at the beginning of July.

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Free Days With George by Colin Campbell... After Colin Campbell went on a short business trip abroad, he returned home to discover his wife of many years had moved out. No explanations. No second chances. She was gone and wasn’t coming back. Shocked and heartbroken, Colin fell into a spiral of depression and loneliness. Soon after, a friend told Colin about a dog in need of rescue—a neglected 140-pound Newfoundland Landseer, a breed renowned for its friendly nature and remarkable swimming abilities. Colin adopted the traumatized dog, brought him home and named him George. 

Both man and dog were heartbroken and lacking trust, but together, they learned how to share a space, how to socialize, and most of all, how to overcome their bad experiences. At the same time, Colin relived childhood memories of his beloved grandfather, a decorated war hero and a man who gave him hope when he needed it most. Then everything changed. Colin was offered a great new job in Los Angeles, California. He took George with him and the pair began a new life together on the sunny beaches around L.A. George became a fixture in his Hermosa Beach neighborhood, attracting attention and giving affection to everyone he met, warming hearts both young and old. Meanwhile, Colin headed to the beach to rekindle his love for surfing, but when George encountered the ocean and a surfboard for the first time, he did a surprising thing—he jumped right on the board. Through surfing, George and Colin began a life-altering adventure and a deep healing process that brought them back to life. As their story took them to exciting new heights, Colin learned how to follow George’s lead, discovering that he may have rescued George but that in the end, it was George who rescued him. 
Free Days with George is an uplifting, inspirational story about the healing power of animals, and about leaving the past behind to embrace love, hope and happiness.

For the people who have read this book, it's a big hit, but I just kind of ran across it one day while I was online. But what rave reviews! Almost all 5 star reviews! And there are a lot of reviews! Of course, who wouldn't melt about a boy and his dog, but this book seems to be special. Two lost souls finding a life filled with love after finding eachother. Published by Anchor Canada at beginning of May. Colin tweeted tuesday that Free Days With George was on sale half price at Amazon and I went for it ($7.37). Amazon changes their prices frequently, but you can check to see if Free Days With George is still on sale and want ot read it too.

Other great oldies but goodies...

* The Art of Racing In The Rain by Garth Stein
* A Dog's Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron
* Marley & Me by John Grogan
* Finding Mr. Right by Emily Carmichael (I LOVED this! It's a romance with an interesting dog twist!)

Do You Like Books with Dogs in the Story or Telling the Story?

Weekly Wrap Up...

   * Memoir Monday ... was a review for Rosalie Lightning, a graphic novel

   * Monday ... also shared what came In My Mailbox. Some GREAT books coming out soon!

   * Friday... First Line Friday highlighted a book I hope EVERYONE gets a chance to read!

I hope your Dog Days of Summer are filled with great weather, great books and a great dog or two (either a real one or one from a book!) Let me know if you have any great "dog" books to share! You can leave them in the comments below!

Happy reading... Suzanne

Concussion by Jeanne Marie Laskas... A Review

My initial thought on reading Concussion by Jeanne Marie Laskas  was "Why"? Anyone who watched as little football as me even knew that it was a dangerous sport. How could a guy NOT get hurt ramming into another player with their head? Obviously, the NFL would try to marginalize the extent of the injuries for the public, but take care of their players... right? But then I kept seeing press for the movie. Definitely not my cup of tea - I'm not a football fan. But with all the coverage of this little book, and noticing that a copy of the book was sitting on the new book shelf at the library, I checked it out. And, how surprised was I that I was really enjoying the book! Not so much for the eye opening account of the NFL covering up their knowledge of the effects of concussions on their players, although the lengths the NFL went to do that was amazing and an incredible story in itself, but for the story of Dr. Bennet Omalu himself. His origins in war torn Nigeria are stuff movies are made of, and his journey to becoming the forensic pathologist that would change the world view on injuries to the brain is simply put, amazing. The story of how Dr. Omalu grew from a boy into a man, how his family and especially his father helped shape him, helps us understand the kind of person that would fight for what he believes in, and in this case, he believed (AND had irrefutable proof) that repeated head trauma caused serious long term health problems. The implications were catastrophic for a sport that glorified its toughness. But this also meant there was a significant danger to young children (high school and college age players) who participated in football.

What did I think of Concussion? I thought it was a great read! The writing was wonderful and reminded me a bit of Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand, the way it flowed and kept my interest from start to finish. You know, sometimes nonfiction books can be dry, but this definitely was not. Jeanne Marie Laskas' writing just drew me in, even with a subject I had no initial interest in.  My favorite parts of the book were about Bennet Omalu growing up in Nigeria (frightening in respect to every day life in war torn Nigeria and interesting in respect to learning about his culture), his adjustments to life in America (so funny at times and so sad at other times) and how he met his wife and "pursued" her (definitely funny, and so much a "guy thing"). I found Concussion funny, sad, devastating and enlightening. I learned something about brains, and I learned something about Dr. Omalu's Nigerian culture. This book really has many things to offer, along with some great "real life" characters, and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good story. No only is this a story about the NFL versus Science (and the little guy from Nigeria who started it all), but it is a story of family, compassion and doing what's right. I give it 4 stars.

Memoir Monday... The Lovers by Rod Nordland

An astonishingly powerful and profoundly moving story of a young couple willing to risk everything for love that puts a human face on the ongoing debate about women’s rights in the Muslim world.

Zakia and Ali were from different tribes, but they grew up on neighboring farms in the hinterlands of Afghanistan. By the time they were young teenagers, Zakia, strikingly beautiful and fiercely opinionated, and Ali, shy and tender, had fallen in love. Defying their families, sectarian differences, cultural conventions, and Afghan civil and Islamic law, they ran away together only to live under constant threat from Zakia’s large and vengeful family, who have vowed to kill her to restore the family’s honor. They are still in hiding.

Despite a decade of American good intentions, women in Afghanistan are still subjected to some of the worst human rights violations in the world. Rod Nordland, then the Kabul bureau chief of the New York Times, had watched these abuses unfold for years when he came upon Zakia and Ali, and has not only chronicled their plight, but has also shepherded them from danger.

The Lovers will do for women’s rights generally what Malala’s story did for women’s education. It is an astonishing story about self-determination and the meaning of love that illustrates, as no policy book could, the limits of Western influence on fundamentalist Islamic culture and, at the same time, the need for change.

Letters of Note compiled by Shaun Usher… A Review

Is it voyeuristic to enjoy leafing through the pages of Letters of Note: An Eclectic Collection of Correspondence Deserving of a Wider Audience compiled by Shaun Usher? The letters span the centuries and include letters such as Mary Queen of Scots 1587 letter to her brother-in-law, hours before she was beheaded, to a Ronald Reagan letter written to his son Michael in 1971 about the beauty of marriage. The famous, the not so famous, the notorious, advice, questions, thank you's, serious, funny, a job request, and letters written when it was the usual way to communicate.

This oversized book is rich in history and I loved reading through the nearly 350 pages. But I was also touched by some of them, such as when looney tunes animator, Chuck Jones, lost the family dog, Jones' Uncle Lynn wrote a heartfelt letter from the dog to Chuck's family, or when Francis Carr-Gomm, head of the London Hospital in 1886, wrote the The London Times newspaper about a "unspeakable disfigured young man", asking for help on his behalf. Later in history, we will know that young man as The Elephant Man, and that letter was filled with such empathy and caring about the sad life and the need for help for that young man whose name was Joseph Merrick.

 Filled with the original note when available (scanned), transcripts of the letters, photos and all notes with a little history behind the letter, this is an amazing collection. Shaun Usher originally started posting these letters on his blog, Letters of Note, in September of 2009, finally publishing his book in 2014. You can read still read the archives on Shaun's blog to sample some of these letters, but I think these letters are so much more enjoyable turning the pages of a book lying in your lap.

Would I recommend reading this book? Definitely Yes! This would make a wonderful gift too! The hardcover book is a beautiful size and has one of those ribbon bookmarks sewn into the spine. I checked this book out from my library, actually it was an interlibrary loan, but this is now on my wish list because I'd really like a copy for the shelves!

*P.S. This book is actually available as a Kindle Edition at a bargain price of $7.99 right now!

Memoir Monday... and The Astronaut Wives Club by Lily Koppel

They had the perfect marriage, the perfect smiles, they were married to American Hero's, they were the "Astronaut Wives". I really didn't give The Astronaut Wives Club by Lily Koppel a second thought when it started getting some buzz. But then I read a post (Ever Wish for an Out-of-this World Romance? America's Astro Wives Had It, and It Wasn't All Moonbeams) on the Huffington Post by the author, Lily Koppel, that had me wanting more. I loved the title of her article, but it was her writing more than the subject matter that captured my interest. There are enough "celebrity" stories out there that sometimes they all just blend together- different people, same kind of story. Lily Koppel made me want to crack the spine on this one. Maybe it was the tidbit about astronaut Jim Lovell seeing how beautiful the Earth was & how his love for his family, and his wife, grew after seeing the beauty and realizing that all he loved was on that small beautiful planet. Maybe it was Lily Koppel's reference to the astronauts and their wives as "Moon Couples". But in any case I really liked Lily Koppel's writing from that small sample and hope that The Astronaut Wives Club will be a page turner. Here's the blurb from the publisher...

As America's Mercury Seven astronauts were launched on death-defying missions, television cameras focused on the brave smiles of their young wives. Overnight, these women were transformed from military spouses into American royalty. They had tea with Jackie Kennedy, appeared on the cover of Life magazine, and quickly grew into fashion icons.

Annie Glenn, with her picture-perfect marriage, was the envy of the other wives; platinum-blonde Rene Carpenter was proclaimed JFK's favorite; and licensed pilot Trudy Cooper arrived on base with a secret. Together with the other wives they formed the Astronaut Wives Club, meeting regularly to provide support and friendship. Many became next-door neighbors and helped to raise each other's children by day, while going to glam parties at night as the country raced to land a man on the Moon.

As their celebrity rose—and as divorce and tragic death began to touch their lives—they continued to rally together, and the wives have now been friends for more than 50 years. THE ASTRONAUT WIVES CLUB tells the real story of the women who stood beside some of the biggest heroes in American history.

I have always liked strong female protagonists, and The Astronaut Wives Club looks like it has 49! My hope is that The Astronaut Wives Club by Lily Koppel, is to the Space Program what Laura Hillenbrand and her book Seabiscuit is to horse racing... And if you haven't read Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand,  it is simply a great book and you should! (here is my review on that great nonfiction book!)

Happy reading... Suzanne

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Memoir Monday presents... Until Tuesday by Luis Carlos Montalván

Until Tuesday by Luis Carlos Montalván

"We aren't just service dog and master; Tuesday and I are also best friends. Kindred souls. Brothers. Whatever you want to call it. We weren't made for each other, but we turned out to be exactly what the other needed."

A highly decorated captain in the U.S. Army, Luis Montalván never backed down from a challenge during his two tours of duty in Iraq. After returning home from combat, however, the pressures of his physical wounds, traumatic brain injury, and crippling post-traumatic stress disorder began to take their toll.

Haunted by the war and in constant physical pain, he soon found himself unable to climb a simple flight of stairs or face a bus ride to the VA hospital. He drank; he argued; ultimately, he cut himself off from those he loved. Alienated and alone, unable to sleep or bend over without pain, he began to wonder if he would ever recover.

Then Luis met Tuesday, a beautiful and sensitive golden retriever trained to assist the disabled. Tuesday had lived amongst prisoners and at a home for troubled boys, blessing many lives; he could turn on lights, open doors, and sense the onset of anxiety and flashbacks. But because of a unique training situation and sensitive nature, he found it difficult to trust in or connect with a human being until Luis.

Until Tuesday is the story of how two wounded warriors, who had given so much and suffered the consequences, found salvation in each other. It is a story about war and peace, injury and recovery, psychological wounds and spiritual restoration. But more than that, it is a story about the love between a man and dog, and how together they healed each other's souls.

My Reading Life by Pat Conroy... A Review

"From the beginning I've searched out those writers unafraid to stir up the emotions, who entrust me with their darkest passions, their most indestructible yearnings, and their most soul-killing doubts." ...Pat Conroy, My Reading Life

Perhaps you know author Pat Conroy from his unforgettable novels, The Prince of Tides, Beach Music or South of Broad. But what you might forget for a moment is that authors also read. In Pat Conroy's My Reading Life we are allowed to step back in time to learn the origins of his passion for the written word and follow along as that passion becomes a life long relationship...

In My Reading Life, Conroy revisits a life of reading through an array of wonderful anecdotes, sharing the pleasures of the local library's vast cache with his mother when he was a boy, recounting his decades-long relationship with the English teacher who pointed him onto the path of letters, and describing a profoundly influential period spent in Paris, as well as reflecting on other pivotal people, places, and experiences. His story is a moving and personal one, guided by wisdom and an undeniable honesty. Anyone who not only enjoys the pleasures of reading but believes in the power of books to shape a life will find here the greatest defense of the credo.

Pat Conroy is a wonderful storyteller, and in his book, My Reading Life, he uses his gift with the pen to weave a wonderful story full of a life long passion for reading, with the people, places and books that fed his appetite. One of those people was his mother, and at the beginning of the book I was so touched by their relationship, how they discussed books, and how Peg Conroy took her little boy's curiosity of the world around him and showed him how the answers could almost always be found between the pages of a book...

"The deep forests of those isolated bases became the kingdom that I took ownership of as a child. I followed the minnow-laced streams as they made their cutting way toward the Trent River. Each time in the woods, I brought my nature-obsessed mother a series of captured animals, from snapping turtles to copperheads... At the library she began to check out books that gave me a working knowledge of those creatures that my inquisitive, overprotective dog and I had found while wandering the woods."

Pat Conroy's mother was only the beginning of the influential people that would play a part in his reading life. There was his teacher Gene Norris that helped Pat speak his mind in defending Catcher in the Rye at a school board meeting, a grouchy librarian that handed him The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and a great antiquarian bookstore where he befriended the owner and learned the ins and outs of old books.

We all have fond memories of the books that we read as a child and of the many books we've loved as an adult. A special book you received as a gift, a teacher that inspired you to read the classics... These memories form our relationship with books and reading. My Reading Life chronicles Pat Conroy's relationship with books and reading. This is such a wonderful little book! The writing is filled with the love of reading, with books that I myself have loved and I couldn't help but enjoy reading about someone else's love of books and how it all came to be. This is a great inside look at a favorite author, but also a look at a reading compadre- someone else whose life was impacted by the written word, and who shows us that no matter what your station, books can change your life!

I want to thank Doubleday for sending along a review copy! You can get a copy for yourself at your local bookstore because My Reading Life by Pat Conroy was just released last week! *P.S. This Book is Kindle Ready!

Memoir Monday... Memoir Rock-n-Rollers: Literally, Figuratively and Secretly Speaking

Yesterday I blogged about some great Fall reads, but it seems that there are quite a few Fall Memoirs coming out too! So, today I thought instead of highlighting just one memoir, I'd highlight 3! Three very prominent Rock-n-Rollers- one literally, one figuratively, and one secretly speaking! Intrigued? Well, let's get to them...

First we have our literally speaking Rock-n-Roller...

Life by Keith Richards... The long-awaited autobiography of the guitarist, songwriter, singer, and founding member of the Rolling Stones. Ladies and gentleman: Keith Richards. With The Rolling Stones, Keith Richards created the songs that roused the world, and he lived the original rock and roll life. Now, at last, the man himself tells his story of life in the crossfire hurricane. Listening obsessively to Chuck Berry and Muddy Waters records, learning guitar and forming a band with Mick Jagger and Brian Jones. The Rolling Stones's first fame and the notorious drug busts that led to his enduring image as an outlaw folk hero. Creating immortal riffs like the ones in "Jumping Jack Flash" and "Honky Tonk Women." His relationship with Anita Pallenberg and the death of Brian Jones. Tax exile in France, wildfire tours of the U.S., isolation and addiction. Falling in love with Patti Hansen. Estrangement from Jagger and subsequent reconciliation. Marriage, family, solo albums and Xpensive Winos, and the road that goes on forever.

I grew up first listening to the Beatles, Elton John, Billy Joel and groups like Journey, Boston, Jethro Tull... The Rolling Stones was not my generation. That said, I knew all about them- and about lead guitarist Keith Richards. I may have passed by this memoir, except I saw an interview segment on one of the Sunday morning shows yesterday that showed an entirely different man than what I had pictured. And he himself said there were two Keith Richards, one man the image of the bad boy rocker, and another later version that we see now as the family man, gardener, etc. It intrigued me enough that I had to stop and listen, and now read Life. This book will be released on Oct. 26th. *P.S. This Book will be Kindle Ready!

Next our figuratively speaking Rock-n-Roller...

Extraordinary, Ordinary People by Condoleeza Rice... From Booklist: Having served under two Bush presidencies—as national security advisor and secretary of state—Rice is well known for her icy demeanor and steely disposition. This memoir presents a young woman deeply attached to her devoted parents, who encouraged her at every step of her life to overcome racism, sexism, and her own personal doubts. Her roots are deep in the South, with a family that pridefully skirted racism—never using the “colored” facilities or riding in the back of the bus. Her mother, Angelena, was a cultured teacher who taught her piano, while her father, John, was a Presbyterian minister and later a college administrator who, despite his Republican politics, strongly admired black radicals, developing a friendship with Stokely Carmichael. He declined to march with Martin Luther King in nonviolent protests and was more inclined to sit on the front porch with a loaded shotgun to ward off white night riders. The Rice family personally knew the young girls who were killed in the church bombing, one of the more violent episodes the family endured before they eventually left the South. Rice presents a frank, poignant, and loving portrait of a family that maintained its closeness through cancer, death, career ups and downs, and turbulent changes in American society.

No matter what your political leanings are, you have to admire Condoleeza Rice whose strong family values and loving family came to shape her into the woman who would overcome racism and sexism to become the Secretary of State. It took 207 years before a woman was appointed to Secretary of State of the United States, and that was in 1997 with the appointment of Madeline Albright. Condoleeza Rice is only the second woman to ever hold the position. (Figuratively speaking she's a rock-n-roller, 'cause she rocks! ) *P.S. This Book is Kindle Ready!

And finally our secretly speaking Rock-n-Roller...

The Autobiography of Mark Twain, Vol. 1 by Mark Twain and edited by Harriet E. Smith and others involved in The Mark Twain Project... From Goodreads: "I've struck it!" Mark Twain wrote in a 1904 letter to a friend. "And I will give it away-to you. You will never know how much enjoyment you have lost until you get to dictating your autobiography." Thus, after dozens of false starts and hundreds of pages, Twain embarked on his "Final (and Right) Plan" for telling the story of his life. His innovative notion-to "talk only about the thing which interests you for the moment"--meant that his thoughts could range freely. The strict instruction that these texts remain unpublished for 100 years meant that when they came out, he would be "dead, and unaware, and indifferent" and therefore free to speak his "whole frank mind." The year 2010 marks the 100th anniversary of Twain's death. In celebration of this important milestone and in honor of the cherished tradition of publishing Mark Twain's works, UC Press is proud to offer for the first time Mark Twain's uncensored autobiography in its entirety and exactly as he left it. This major literary event brings to readers, admirers, and scholars the first of three essential volumes and presents Mark Twain's authentic and unsuppressed voice, brimming with humor, ideas, and opinions, and speaking clearly from the grave as he intended.

Mark Twain is our secret Rock-n-Roller because this is the book that will reveal a side to Samuel Langhorne Clemens, aka Mark Twain, that we may not have known. Mr. Twain specified that this book, his autobiography, should not be released until 100 years after his death. The reason being that he would not offend or embarrass any family or friends. The book will be published in three volumes. And I for one, and there have been many great reviews of this book, am looking forward to reading the "uncensored" version of Mark Twain. Official release date of this book is November 15th, but it is available now from Amazon. *P.S. This Book is Kindle Ready!