Off John's Shelf

Not quite....

2007-09-10T22:35:00.000-04:00

[Employees from are eating at a table before the dinner rush.]

Girl: Hey, I have a cyst.
Guy: (With a mouthful of shrimp) Is that like herpes?

-Restaurant

My iTunes....very nice....

2007-08-12T15:57:00.000-04:00

Summer Reading Time!

2007-06-01T14:59:00.000-04:00

Well, readers. I have abandoned you for too long, and I apologize. School has this way of taking over one's life, and leaving little time for more. There are several big book news items to talk about.

Khaled Housseni's newest book, A Thousand Splendid Suns. I picked it up a few days ago, but I have had trouble getting into it, as the start of summer has brought its own set of duties. The first 50 pages have been good. It has yet to catch my attention, and never let go quite like the Kite Runner did. That will be one review to come later.
AP English Reading Lists - I have to read a few books for my AP English class, so I think I will have a bit of a 'return to classics' this summer. Vonnegut, Faulkner, and I am rereading All the King's Men (a lovely book).
Environmentalism Takes Hold - For my AP Environmental Science Class, I have to read a book by Stephen Meyer, called The End of the Wild. It is a quick read, only about 90 pages, and shouldn't be too bad.

I have been busy with all of this, as I just got a HUGE shipment of books in from Amazon (YEAH!!!) and have started working through them all. Happy summer, and read on!

Water for Elephants - - Sara Gruen

2007-03-15T15:53:00.000-04:00

Okay....I have FINALLY gotten all caught up with everything, and gotten back to reading. Water for Elephants, by Sara Gruen was my latest selection. This book follows the life of Jacob Jankowski, a first generation American from a Polish immigrant family. It simultaneously reviews the first ninety, or ninety-three (the character himself it not sure how old he is) years of his life, as well as his current life, in a large 'assisted living' complex.

When Jacob was young, he went to Cornell Vet School. The week before his finals, ready to go home to join the family practice, he receives news that both of his parents were killed in a car accident. When he goes to settle their estate, he finds that his parents had kept the fact that they remortgaged their house to afford his Ivy-League education from him, and that they had no money. His father could not bear to see animals getting neglected when people could not afford vet bills in the Great Depression, and had been accepting primitive payments of nuts and garden vegetables when money ran short. So, Jacob was left with no parents, or relatives, with a week left in his education, and absolutely no money. As to not give everything away, i am going to skip a bit here, but he runs away with the small circus, that calls itself the 'most spectacular show on earth.' The owner is a stingy man obsessed with the competition: Ringling Brothers.

All sorts of problems follow Jacob, from having to room with a cranky dwarf to falling in love with his mental boss's wife, to being in charge of an elephant that is 'dumb.' The story cuts back and forth to the nursing home, where the widower is sitting by a window, watching a circus set up in the lot next door. He is promised that when 'his people' come to visit on Sunday, he will get to go. Before, he has a fight with another guest who boasts of having carried all of the water for the elephants when HE worked in a circus. Jacob knows that that is a lie, and gives the newbie a piece of his mind.

This book really gets into a lot of things. It details love, loss, growing old, being young, and not knowing just where you stand, or if you are even on your feet. I really enjoyed it.

Water for Elephants...Coming Soon....

2007-03-08T15:54:00.000-05:00

Okay...I recently bought a copy of Water for Elephants, by Sara Gruen. I am starting it today, and so by Friday night, I should have a review ready. I can, however recommend something to read, or NOT to read. I got into the new Baldacci book, the Collectors. It was alright, but it didn't quite grip me like the Camel Club did. I am going to give it about 50 more pages before I give up, but we shall see. The Road, by Cormac McCarthy is also on the shelf. I have a lot to do...better get started....

Deathly Hallows - Coming Soon

2007-02-03T12:59:00.000-05:00

Ok - there has been a release date set for the final installment of the Harry Potter Series...Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. The date is....July 21! That is only a week after the premier of the Order of the Pheonix movie. There are thoughts that this will split the Harry Potter market, hurting both book and ticket sales. I disagree. I think that everyone will go see the movie, then read the book. If the book came first it would be an issue, but this way I don't think it will. Let the countdown begin!

Just Remembered....

2007-01-21T12:29:00.000-05:00

I just remembered, I do have a blog.... Just kidding. I have been very busy through the holidays, and things are just now starting to slow down. I haven't done a whole lot of reading recently....I really should get back to it. I have several books that I have either started, and need to finish, or bought with some Christmas money that I haven't started. Here are a few that are coming.....

I really need to finish All the King's Men.....
I have also gotten 1/2 way through The Innocent Man....I should really get to it.....
I bought The Road, by Cormac McCarthy last week. When I saw it at the store, I couldn't place his name, but when I got home I went through my shelves and found something else by him: Blood Meridian. I never really got into that book....I guess I am going to give him a second chance.
In the Historical Department I got Common Sense, and Other Writings by Thomas Paine. I really like Paine as a historical figure. I think his writings, many of which have ties to those of John Locke, shaped this nation....

So, there you have it....a list of what is to come....you should know, however, that there is a chance that I will get distracted by yet another book. I also has several John Grisham novels that I haven't read yet. I probably won't blog them, however, because I do a lot on Grisham as it is.

My Deathly Hallows Analysis

2006-12-22T20:07:00.000-05:00

I have a couple thoughts. I think that we need to remeber that JK is from Britian. In their dictionary, hallow is: hal·low (hl)
tr.v. hal·lowed, hal·low·ing, hal·lows
1. To make or set apart as holy.
2. To respect or honor greatly; revere.
I think this brings a new thought into mind. Could this be talking about some type of sacred type of right of passage Harry or others will have to pass? The ideas are flowing. A couple that I have read and thought were interesting shall follow in the next few days.

Harry Potter Book 7

2006-12-21T22:27:00.000-05:00

The title of the seventh Harry Potter has been released!! The title is going to be Harry Potter and the.....you already knew that part......Deathly Hallows. This was our Christmas present from JK. There has been no word on when the book will be released. There are several rumors around. I tend to think that it will be released around Christmas of next year. Others think 7-7-07. I think that that is too close to the premiere of the 5th movie. Sometime in the fall is also likely. No one knows....well, maybe someone does, and they just aren't telling. Now, on to Deathly Hallows. I have a few questions:

Do they say deadly in England, or do they say Deathly?
Hallows....like ghosts?
Why not an easier to interpret title?!?!?!?!?!

One Hundred Years of Solitude -- Gabriel Garcia Marquez

2006-11-29T12:56:00.000-05:00

One Hundred Years of Solitude (Un Cien Anos de Solidad) is a novel about a imaginary town named Macondo. Garcia Marquez follows the town, and the Buendia family through a century. The book starts with Colonel Aureliano Buendia facing a firing squad, and reminiscing about the time he first discovered ice. The book goes on from there, all the while with the Colonel facing the firing squad, remembering the past, tracing the history of the town of Macondo. You are introduced to the complete lineage of several families. (I would most definetly reccomend buying a copy that has the family trees in the front, as they are desperately needed to follow the characters without an eidetic memory.) Jose Arcadio Buendia and his family ore the center of the book, as they founded the town. There are his sons: José Arcadio and Aureliano, grandsons: Aureliano José, Aureliano Segundo, and José Arcadio Segundo. Then there are the wonderfully charismatic women--the Úrsulas, a few Remedios, Fernanda, and my personal favorite, Pilar. This book was really good. It is one where you need to just stick with it. I actually had to take a break from it for several weeks, and then resume my reading with fresh eyes. It was worth it. This book is really different from any American literature you see, and opens your eyes to a completely different world.

Angels and Demons....the MOVIE!!!

2006-11-20T16:12:00.000-05:00

For all of you who have bought the Da Vinci Code movie, you know that Angels and Demons the movie is coming out. That is all we are told, but IMDb gives the year of the movie as 2008. Anyone who is a prime member can find out more, and if you do, please tell me!!

Secondly, Patsie Trollinger will be at the Hub tomorrow, and give a discussion at 6. Good times!!!

The Da Vinci Code {DVD} Release

2006-11-16T18:53:00.000-05:00

The Da Vinci Code DVD {based on the superbest seller by Dan Brown, and starring Tom Hanks and Audrey Tatou} came out on the 14th. There is also a very cool special edition boxed set. It contains and real working cryptex, and a Robert Langdon journal. It is very exciting, and would make a great Christmas gift for and Dan Brown enthusiast. It is $80 shelf price, but Amazon has it half off now. Thanks for the great comments! I am looking into several of the books you have reccomended. I must say I have been busy reading the Innocent Man, and All the King's Men, and some Poe short stories. On top of all of that, I have been putting all of my music onto my new iPod {30G Video}. Very exciting!!! I went to Joseph-Beth with a group the other day, and we had a very nice tour there, given by the PR lady. If anyone has a group that they are in charge of entertaining, I would reccomend that you look into a similiar tour. Plus, you get a 10% discount!

Thomas Friedman Interview

2006-11-07T10:50:00.000-05:00

Thomas Friedman, author of The World is Flat, had an interesting Q&A session. The topics ranged from Withdrawal from Iraq to Education in the US. I would show it, but I don't want to get sued. You have to be a member of the NY Times online paper to get access to all the goodies. If you are a member, the article is in the @Times section of your email. If you are not a member, I would reccomend it, you get an electronic newspaper every day, and lots of other weekly journals, for example, I get the Book Review. As I have mentioned previosly, I am working on a video blog about All the King's Men, by Robert Penn Warren. I have been gathering information and reading the book for about a month now. I have been working on this ever since the idea hit me when I posted my video from Alaska. You can expect that by next weekend. It should be good.

Widow of the South -- Robert Hicks

2006-10-28T23:31:00.000-04:00

I promised a review of this book a while back, but I have been quite busy, so it has taken me this long to deliver. So, on to the review....

Widow of the South was written by Robert Hicks last fall. I had a chance to go see him - that is to say I had tickets - but there was an ice storm the night before, and the roads were really slick so I couldn't make it.

Hicks obviously has a great passion for history, illustrated in this book. Loosely based on a true story, it is about a lady name Carrie McGavock, and jumps back and forth between her present life, and her life during the Civil War. The book starts in the McGavock graveyard - a place that is very dear to the elderly Carrie. Long ago, she allowed her house to be used as a field hospital in the Battle of Fredricksburg. She now, in the setting of the book, spends her days walking the rows of her cemetery, keeping diligent records with the help of her also aging former slave. In the opening pages of the book, an unexpected old man arrives during Carrie's daily walk through the graves. He brings back memories from long ago - thirty years ago - memories of a wounded soldier who left the makeshift hospital carrying a little more that he came with - carrying a piece of Carrie's heart. He asks for only one thing: a place in the cemetary, next to his fallen comrades.

This book captures the feeling of the post Civil War era within its pages. It is definitley worth reading. It just came out in paperback. There is also a very nice website dedicated to the book, with a lot of information about the factitious basis of the book.

The Innocent Man Release

2006-10-13T12:49:00.000-04:00

Jonh Grisham's newest book is now on the shelves at your favo[u]rite bookstore. If you aren't sure that non-fiction is quite what you want from Grisham, you may want to listen to this 7 minute excerpt from the book. It is pretty good, and sounds as if it was written like a novel. While you are at Grisham's site to get the excerpt, you can also enter a drawing to win a free copy. The next review will be on All the King's Men. I may make another video, and I may also interview a relative who got to go to the premier of the movie, starring Sean Penn.

Video Attempt

2006-10-06T21:17:00.000-04:00

This is a video I shot while in Alaska this summer on vacation.

Site Additions

2006-09-30T19:00:00.000-04:00

There are many new site additions to this blog. I hope everyone will VOTE in the new poll, and come back to vote in the polls to come. There is now a chat box, where readers can get on and discuss their views of books. Any suggestions for a book to read would be greatly appreciated, but I have a list I go by. Enjoy the additions!!

Banned Books Week

2006-09-27T18:46:00.000-04:00

This week, as the last week of September always is, is Banned Books Week. I was apalled to see some of the books on the list, including The Invisible Man, Harry Potter, and one book recently made into a motion picture, How to Eat Fried Worms. James and the Giant Peach is one of the banned books too. Coming in at number 56, its reason for being banned -- James goes against the will of his guardians (officially, the listed reason is 'anti-family').

This list contains 100 books, many of which I have read, and that should never have been banned. Go to the American Library Association's site for more, or here for the list of the top 100 books banned between 1990 and 2000. The list is repopulated every 10 years, but as for the moment (there is a top 10 list done every year), the Harry Potter Series has taken the lead. I am sure the next time the list is made, our friend Dan Brown will also be included.

Innocent Man Cover

2006-09-24T18:55:00.000-04:00

This is the cover I found to John Grisham's upcoming book. {See Previous Post} This photo was on Amazon, and they are taking preorders now. More as I know it.

New Grisham Book

2006-09-21T09:15:00.000-04:00

The Innocent Man, scheduled to be released on October 10, is going to be Grisham's first nonfiction piece. It is going to be about small town justice that went terribly wrong. You can read a synopsis on Grisham's official site here. More to come as I find out.

Lies My Teacher Told Me -- James Loewen

2006-09-10T09:53:00.000-04:00

OK -- Hold on, this one is strange.... I really enjoyed this book. It is about some of the things that American History textbooks get wrong, and there was a lot of material with which James Loewen could work. Loewen surveyed 12 leading American History textbooks and pointed out several of their glaring misconceptions. The 1st chapter, Handicapped by History, discusses the missing information about Helen Keller, and others who were (and are) associated with great reforms, and social revolutions, but who also did some very radical things that might cast a different light upon them if they were well known. Loewen goes on to cover Columbus, all the way up to the Vietnam War. I would recommend this book to any history lover, or even the casual historian who wants to gain a deeper understanding of what -- and who -- formed the nation in which we are living....

UPDATE: Loewen has published a new book since this one called Lies Across America: What America's Historic Sites Got Wrong. I think it looks pretty good, but I haven't read it. You can read about it here.

RIP Pluto

2006-08-25T20:29:00.000-04:00

Well, it is official. Pluto, known previously as the smallest planet has now had its planetary status rebuked. For those of you wondering why this has happened, the reason is that the definition a planet was changed. Pluto doesn't revolve principally around the sun, but revolves around the planet Neptune (which the last time I checked IS still a planet). Now, in reference to the ex-farthest planet, we have been instructed to use the politically correct term ICY DWARF.

~~~

UPDATE: Pluto's new name is No. 134340. Not very personable....

The Summons -- John Grisham

2006-08-13T10:29:00.000-04:00

I absolutely love John Grisham's work. I haven't read a single book of his that I haven't liked. The only one I have found that didn't interest me was Bleachers, but it strayed from his normal genre, and I didn't read it.

This book is about a law professor at a Virginia college who goes home when his father, a small town judge, summons him to talk about what is to happen with his estate. When Ray Atlee (the professor, but there is no Mary Ann) returns, he finds his father lying dead on the couch in the study of his dilapidated old house. There is a will on the Judge's desk, that quite simply states that the estate is to be split between the judge's 2 sons, Ray, and his younger, drug infested reprobate brother. Ray is the executioner of the will, and takes care to get funeral arrangements underway. Separating the estate would be simple - sell the house, and split it, along with the $6000 in the Judge's only checking account. The judge had given most of his money to charity over the years. When Ray was in the study, he moved the couch, revealing a cabinet -- a cabinet containing 3 million dollars in cash. Immediately, he moved it out, but it was too late. Someone else knew about the cash.

I really enjoyed this book. It was not so much the typical Grisham -- lawyers and court battles, which I also enjoy, but this was a good change of pace. There is a link to Grisham's website on the right side of the screen, and you can read more about his books from there. I also found a site, SquareBooks, that sells signed Grisham books for reasonable fees.

The Hard Way -- Lee Child

2006-08-02T11:49:00.000-04:00

This book was interesting -- not in a thought provoking, brain filling way, but in an 'I want to read a mindless thriller type book, because I am bored' type way. I liked it pretty well, though. It was a mystery about a man named Jack Reacher. Lee Child writes novels with this same man as her protagonist everytime. This is the first of them I have read, but there are 10 predecessors. The basic plotline was that a mercenary's wife and child had been kidnapped, and he hired Reacher to do find her. As Reacher digs into the man's past, though, he finds that it is possible that this might not be a kidnapping of the man's wife and stepdaughter, but a plot, much like the one that had rid Lane (the mercenary) of his previous wife a few years before....

Next Up...

2006-07-12T13:36:00.000-04:00

The next selection that I will post on will be.... (drumroll please.....) Widow of the South, by Robert Hicks. This book is about a lady who had several of her children die, and keeps their rooms untuoched, exactly how they were. Then, her house is chosen as a field hospital in the Civil War. It keeps jumping back and forth between different unconnected stories, all around the time of the battle. As of 70 pages in, that is my short synopsis.

Happy 4th!!!

2006-07-04T14:09:00.000-04:00

Happy 4th of July!!!

The History Channel had a thing on about fireworks, and it said Thunder Over Louisville is the biggest fireworks show in America. I am assuming most of you readers are from around KY, so you know about Thunder. I just thought that was neat.

The Camel Club -- David Baldacci

2006-07-04T13:26:00.000-04:00

The Camel Club is set in Washington, and Virginia. If you haven't figured it out yet, that is the White House on the front cover. The basic premise of the book is that there is a group of 4 conspiracy theorists, who meet to discuss their observations of political leaders. Their leader, Oliver Stone, sits out side the White House every day watching for the President or some other dignitary to come through the gates. The others do all they can to catch any scrap of information they can that comes from the political fields of Washington. The problem is, they have no credibility among the politicians and intelligence agencies of Washington, because of things they have done in the past. So, when they witness the murder of an intelligence worker, that was professionally set up as a suicide, they had no one to tell. Except Secret Service Agent Alex Ford. The problem is, as soon as he starts looking into the murder, he is immediately ordered to stand down, and he is put back on protection detail. As all of this is going on, so is the story of the terrorists. Middle easterners who are believed dead, who are planning to spend the end of their lives doing one thing -- kidnapping the President.

This book was really good. When I first started out reading it, I didn't know if I would like it. Baldacci used what I thought were WAY too many acronyms. I think I counted 10 on one page. It was a bit cheesy. For example, they kept saying: POTUS (President Of The United States), SAIC (Secret Agent In Charge), and ASAIC (Assistant to the Secret Agent In Charge). Another issue I noted at the beginning was that there were too many story lines going on at once. I won't list them all, but after 60 pages, there were 7 or 8. They did all tie together nicely in the end. The end was a bit sad, but not in an unneeded way. I would definitely recommend this book to all who enjoy John Grisham's novels. It is a tale of treachery and deceit that has twists you never saw coming....

Potter Sequel Grows Darker

2006-06-27T13:27:00.000-04:00

There is some big news coming from Britain. In a live interview with J.K. Rowling, it was revealed that at least two more major characters will die in the seventh, and final installment of the Harry Potter series. Many are suggesting that it would be convenient for Rowling to kill off Harry, as to prevent people from writing sequels to her books. Mugglenet, which has a link on the right side of the page, has links to the video of the interview, and touches on some more of the high points. Finally, we are told that the book is well under way. The final chapter of the book has been written for several years, and locked in a safe in an undisclosed location. The final word of the last chapter is still said to be 'scar,' which keeps the mind flowing with dramatic possibilities. The next review I will do will be on 'The Camel Club,' by David Baldacci. I have 150 pages left, but it may take awhile, as I am off having fun at Rogers Scholars Camp.

Here They Are

2006-06-13T15:20:00.000-04:00

This final one here, by the co-author of HBHG is my personal favorite. He accused Dan Brown of copying him, what is this!?!?!?!? I know Newsweek isn't copying The Da Vinci Code, but they are trying to get in on the hype. Happy Reading!!

Spot The Fakes

2006-06-13T15:13:00.000-04:00

Can You Spot the Fakes? Tomorrow I will post them. This picture was taken at a book store in the Salt Lake City Airport, while I was on my way back from Alaska. They are all copying or trying to make money off of the Da Vinci Craze (I can say that because they all have copyright dates post Da Vinci Code). Happy hunting!

2006-06-13T14:47:00.000-04:00

Ohh! A dramatic moment. I reall like the way this shot was set up so that the Mona Lisa was right behind them, almost as if she was watching everything play out.

Ahh Sir Leigh Teabing. McKlellan was a great choice for this character, but I felt that the high tech room etc. were a little over the top. Exactly what was he studying with a microscope? It did look good. I thought the dialogue in that scene of the movie was a bit twisted from the original. At most bookstores they now have illustrated screenplays available. The hardcover copy is outrageous. It was $50. The paperback copy was nice, and it was only $25. They are about the size of the illustrated editions of the books.

THE Movie

2006-06-11T10:49:00.000-04:00

Robert Langdon, (Tom Hanks) in the final scene of the movie. There was some cool filming, going through the glass etc.

I like the casting for Silas. Paul Bettany did a good job. If you can't put your finger on where you last saw him, it was probably in another great movie, A Beautiful Mind. (He was Charles, the imaginary college friend.) It might have been a good touch for him to have worn red contacts, furthering the albino gig.

I have more still pictures and comments to come, including a real review.

JK Rowling Voted Britian's Greatest Author

2006-06-08T11:22:00.000-04:00

No suprise here, but JK Rowling was voted Britian's Greatest author. If you don't know this, you ought to be put away, but Rowling is the author of 6 best selling Harry Potter novels. The seventh, and final installment is anticipated for the summer of 2007. Rowling took the vote, nearly tripling the number of votes for second place. No need for a recount there! To read the full article, on Reuters, click here.

Updates

2006-06-02T20:12:00.000-04:00

Okay everyone, I hope you will all welcome me back into the blog world. I haven't posted for quite some time. Part of that has to do with an overload of end-of-the-year school work, and that the day after school was out I flew off for a week in Alaska. That was great, and I will surely post several of my photographs. Now, I'm back, and ready to go. I will start posting more often. I started by posting two new links. I love to read the 'Oddly Enough' News. Happy reading!!!

PS the next book post will be about The Grapes of Wrath.

OHOHOHOHOH and I saw the Da Vinci Code movie!! I love it. Lots to come....

Happy Easter!!!

2006-04-16T17:44:00.000-04:00

There was an impressively large, nice article in the Advocate today (Sunday) talking about all of the student bloggers, and our blogs. Thanks for the support. Very nice. Happy Easter!!!!

The World Is Flat-- Thomas Friedman

2006-04-14T22:09:00.000-04:00

This book was a bit of a different genre from the literature I normally pick up at my favorite book stop. The front cover has a sub note that says "a brief history of the twenty-first century." Brief isn't the word I would use for this 470 page 'look-back' on the time between Y2K, and March 2004. Don't take that the wrong way, and let me lead you to believe that this book drags, because it doesn't, but it does help to be interested in the subject. I guess I should tell you what the subject is, since that is what the whole purpose for this blog is....

This book analyzes the effects of globalization on our lives, and how technology has 'flattened' the earth. It looks back on the aforementioned years, and speculates on what will go into the history books about that time.

I find this book very interesting, and hope this review isn't too ambiguous. Of course, I shouldn't give away too much, people just need a little taste, that leaves them hungry for more.

Brown/RandomHouse Acquitted

2006-04-07T20:41:00.000-04:00

That's right, the judge ruled in favor of Random House. The plagiarism that author Dan Brown was accused of in his novel, The Da Vinci Code, was found not to have happened at all. After reading Brown's witness statement earlier this month, I don't known how he could have been found to have copied Holy Blood, Holy Grail. Brown provided very solid evidence that he got information from several sources before even reading HBHG, and that his ideas originally came from those sources, not HBHG. When I say his ideas came from those other sources, I mean he shared their theories etc., not that he copied them. Again, the Da Vinci Code movie is opening on May 19th, which is disappointing for me because that is the day I board a plane to spend a week in Alaska. I really want to go to Alaska, but it is going to be hard to miss the movie for a week. Also, not to speculate, but I find the timing of this courtcase a bit questionable, and wonder how much money all this publicity is making for HBHG's authors. Now, Dan, let's get on with your next novel (note: his witness statement said that he is well on his way with the next novel featuring Robert Langdon, and it will trail through ancient Masonic fraternities of New England).

My Soap Box

2006-03-29T19:10:00.000-05:00

OK people. I was watching Digging for the Truth on the History Channel, and I have to say this for all of the people who don't understand what a novel is: A novel is FICTION, and fiction is NOT REAL! Now that that is all clear, I am going to harp some more. Dan Brown is a novelist, and he writes OH YES, NOVELS! His book is not a bible, a textbook, an aid to the bible or any other sort of reference material concerning a possible holy bloodline or grail. Digging for the Truth is a good show, but when they, and multiple other weekly hour-long documentary type shows boast of 'disproving' Dan Brown's novel, that is like saying, "I proved that if an anvil really fell on Wiley Coyote, he would die, so Loony Tunes is wrong!" Well, congratulations, you just disproved a cartoon! The Da Vinci Code is a very good book. I think Mr. Brown would agree with me when I say that it is meant to be read that way-- as a novel. Maybe I will call him and see.... I have been reading a witness statement that he wrote, all 69 pages of it, and it is very good. It gives a lot of good information about his life, and his career as an author. You can download it here, but he states that if his novel makes people seek knowlege, that makes him happy. If his book serves as a catalyst for good theological discussions, that is great, but it isn't to be taken as a textbook. That is why he included the FACT, to clear up all the confusion. Heed his word.

Nat'l Book Critics Circle Awards

2006-03-29T19:02:00.000-05:00

The winners of the 2006 National Book Critics Circle Awards have been announced.

Fiction: The March by E.L. Doctorow. Doctorow also won an NBCC Prize in. 1989 for Billy Bathgate. The March has won the PEN/Faulkner fiction award and was shortlisted for the National Book Award.

General Nonfiction: Voices from Chernobyl: The Oral History of a Nuclear Disaster by Svetlana Alexievich

Biography: American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin

Autobiography**: Them: A Memoir of Parents by Francine du Plessix Gray .

Poetry: Refusing Heaven by Jack Gilbert and Criticism: The Undiscovered Country: Poetry in the Age of Tin by William Logan

The NBCC also awarded the Ivan Sandrof Lifetime Achievement Award to Bill Henderson, founder of the Pushcart Press, editor of the annual Pushcart Prize anthology and trumpet player extraordinaire.

The Nona Balakian Citation for Excellence in Reviewing went to Wyatt Mason, a contributor to Harper's, the New Yorker and the New Republic.

**The autobiography category is new this year.

Da Vinci Trial Closing

2006-03-20T14:39:00.000-05:00

The Da Vinci Code trial is coming to an end. The authors of 'Holy Blood, Holy Grail' are suing Random House for plagiarism, claiming that Dan Brown copied the idea for Jesus to have married Mary Magdalene, having children, and leaving a surviving heir, from their non-fiction book with the same idea. Dan Brown took the stand, as well as several others. The judge said that a verdict will be handed down by the end of the court's session, on April 13th. I will update more when the verdict is passed.

Book of the Year Honors

2006-03-19T16:31:00.000-05:00

These books didn't win the number one slot, but were given honorable mention.
2006 Book Sense Book of the Year Honor Books:
Adult Fiction::
• Kafka on the Shore: A Novel, by Haruki Murakami
• The March: A Novel, by E.L. Doctorow
• Saturday: A Novel, by Ian McEwan
• Snow Flower and the Secret Fan: A Novel, by Lisa See
Adult Nonfiction:
• The Glass Castle: A Memoir, by Jeannette Walls
• The Lost Painting: The Quest for a Caravaggio Masterpiece, by Jonathan Harr
• Marley & Me: Life and Love With the World's Worst Dog, by John Grogan
• The Tender Bar: A Memoir, by J.R. Moehringer
Children's Literature:
• A Dog's Life: The Autobiography of a Stray, by Ann M. Martin
• Eldest: Inheritance, Book 2, by Christopher Paolini
• Flush, by Carl Hiaasen• The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits,... by Jeanne Birdsall
Children's Illustrated:
• Diary of a Spider, by Doreen Cronin, illustrated by Harry Bliss
• Leaf Man, by Lois Ehlert, illustrated by Lois Ehlert
• Leonardo, The Terrible Monster, by Mo Willems, illustrated by Mo Willems
• Seen Art?, By Jon Scieszka; illustrated by Lane Smith

Congratulations to all of these outstanding authors!!!

Book of the Year Awards

2006-03-19T15:09:00.000-05:00

I found the results of the 2006 Book Sense Book of the Year Awards. They are..
{envelope ripped open}

Adult Fiction: The Historian , by Elizabeth Kostova

Adult Nonfiction: Freakonomics , by Levitt & Dubner

Children's Literature: Inkspell, by Cornelia Funke

Children's Illustrated: Zen Shorts, by Jon Muth

{applause}

I am sorry to say I know not of these books. The only one I have read is The Historian, and I have to say, it was very good. I read it while in Italy, Turkey, and Greece over fall break. Good times. I will probably do my own review on it in a while, but here is a link to what Amazon had written. I find the varying reviews submitted on this book very interesting, and wonder how my own will turn out. Amazon's reviews start out all bad, but at the end they get more positive. If you have a comment about this book, please feel free to email it to me, and I will be sure to post it.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!

2006-03-17T19:33:00.000-05:00

I personally don't like this holiday, and think it is a bit immature. The problem with it is if you don't wear green, you will end up being pinched by everyone at school. So, today I traded my UK hoodie for a blue shirt with some green in it. Oh well.

I feel like just randomly commenting on some odd things. I really wanted to get a Live Green Go Yellow t-shirt from GM, with their new Ethanol-85 alternate fuel source, and they are out. They say they are making more, and I want one as soon as they do, but while I was looking for the shirt I saw a neat e-card. They have a tractor, and a UFO. You use them to write a message in the corn. This is the link, just go to the 'get stuff' tab, and select the e-card. Very fun. Watch for the t-shirt, and when they put the link up, you get a free one for your name and email address.

The Kite Runner -- Khaled Hosseini

2006-03-11T21:05:00.000-05:00

The Kite Runner is an exhilarating read. This novel was an original work, not just a borrowed plot from another successful book. I got very attached to the characters in this book. There are places in this book that are horrible in their reality, and others that are simply beautiful.

The story starts in urban Afghanistan, following the lives of two boys, one a poor servant, and the other the wealthy privileged child. The privileged child, Amir, is more of an intellectual, academic child, whereas Hassan, the servant child, can't afford school, and is left to having Amir read to him from his books. The two are good friends until a terrifying incident in an alley with the neighborhood bullies builds a barrier between them, a barrier of Amir's guilt. The celebrated overthrow of the Afghan Monarch, and the takeover by the Taliban is wonderfully interwoven with the plot.

I can't really give you much else without spoiling some part of the book. I would recommend this book to people over at least 14 because of the sheer magnitude of the actions of some characters. The end was good, and I can't think of a single string left untied. When I got to the end of the first section, I thought that would be the end of that story line, but not to fear, EVERYTHING comes back. This book was amazing in the way that all ends of the story fit together. It's like when you are working a Sudoku puzzle, and you get one number, and all of the sudden, ten more numbers fall into place. This book was excellent, and was definitely worth reading.

Coming Soon ... to a computer near you!

2006-02-27T07:21:00.000-05:00

Sorry about missing a post this weekend. I am reading The Kite Runner, by K. Houssieni. If I just spelled his name wrong, I will correct it later, it is too early. So far this book has been excellent, a little raw in some areas, but excellent. I had to pry myself from it to write this. Expect a review by Wednesday at the latest, and it should be positive, barring an awful 80 page ending.

Cover and Info

2006-02-18T15:24:00.000-05:00

Here is a cover picture for the previous post. I forgot to attach it before publishing. I also reset the comment area so that everyone can comment, not just Blogger users. Just select the dot that doesn't say Blogger.

Never Have Your Dog Stuffed -- Alan Alda

2006-02-18T14:03:00.000-05:00

This is Alan Alda's autobiography. It gets you drawn in from the sobering first line, "My mother didn't try to stab my father until I was 6." Alda paints a wonderful picture of what his childhood was like, having polio, growing up traveling around with a burlesque show, and being home schooled by various tutors. It is helped along by comical tales, like one of how you should let go of lost pets, not send them to the local taxidermist. Do not read this book if you are wanting a tell all tale of Hollywood nightlife. Alda stayed true to his wife of almost fifty years, and managed to raise three daughters in a normal home. This book is also not all about MASH. MASH, of course, is covered, but this book is more about Alda's childhood, and what went on in his head as a child, as well as when he got older, and the ideas he still has today. It's a delightful and hilarious read that I would recommend to all.

Thanks to the Advocate...

2006-02-13T21:01:00.000-05:00

This afternoon, my blog linked with the Advocate Messenger. They got me started on this project, and taught me how all of this works. I appreciate their efforts greatly, and would like to thank them here. A special thanks to Liz and Kent for all of their help.

P.S. On a separate note, everyone feel free to leave comments, email me book selection suggestions, or site improvement ideas.

The Broker-- John Grisham

2006-02-12T10:37:00.000-05:00

I am a big fan of John Grisham. His latest novel is The Broker. It recently came out in paperback, but has been out in hardcover for a while. In this book, power broker Joel Backman is given a last minute pardon by the president, at the request of the CIA. He is then put on an army transport plane, and flown to Italy, where he is given a new name, and is told to never return home. He soon uncovers the plot of the CIA to leek his location to several enemy states, and sit back to see who kills him first. This is a great book, that is impossible to put down. I would give it 4 stars, only because the ending leaves several loose strings, but overall, a fascinating read. For more books by John Grisham, or author information, go to his website.

Nosey Goat

2006-02-11T14:45:00.000-05:00

We have goats. The nosey one is Snickers, and the white one (look through his ear) is Sassy.

Fun In the Snow

2006-02-11T14:42:00.000-05:00

My dogs (left to right) Raven, June, and Riley. Riley is mine, June is my dad's, and Raven is everyone's.

Riley and Me

2006-02-11T14:28:00.000-05:00

Da Vinci Code Movie Buzz

2006-02-10T23:41:00.000-05:00

I was watching the Olympic opening ceremonies, and saw a mini trailer for the Da Vinci Code movie. It comes out May 19th. Ron Howard is directing it, and Tom Hanks stars as Robert Langdon. The full trailer can be seen at Sony's site, and more information, including a countdown to release timer can be found on Dan Brown's site.

ME!!

2006-02-10T18:10:00.000-05:00

My name is John Rucker, and this is my blog. This is the first blog I have ever done, and I have already learned to write down my password. I am going to use this blog as a place to talk about my favorite subject, books. I am going to do a synopsis of each book I read, rank it, compare my ranking to others, and let you comment. If I ever put in a spoiler, I will put up a SPOILER ALERT, and write it so that it has to be highlighted to see.