Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Book 55 "Absolute Power"
Book 54 "The Great Gatsby"
Book 53 "Riding the Bullet"
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Book 52 "The Tiger's Wife"
"Everything necessary to understand my grandfather lies between two stories: the story of the tiger’s wife, and the story of the deathless man. These stories run like secret rivers through all the other stories of his life—of my grandfather’s days in the army; his great love for my grandmother; the years he spent as a surgeon and a tyrant of the University. One, which I learned after his death, is the story of how my grandfather became a man; the other, which he told to me, is of how he became a child again."
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Book 51 "The Hound of the Baskervilles"
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Book 50 "State of Wonder"
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Book 49 "The Woman In The Dunes"
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Book 48 "Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk"
Book 47 "Of Mice And Men"
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Book 46 "A visit from the goon squad"
Book 45 "The 360 Degree Leader"
Book 44 "The Tiger Rising"
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Book 43 "Child of God"
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Book 42 "The Lovely Bones"
Book 41 "The Road"
Book 40 "Living the 7 Habits"
Friday, October 14, 2011
Book 39 Tinkers
Book 38 SEAL TEAM SIX
Book 37 Blue Like Jazz
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Frankfurt Book Fair
Here are a few pictures from the Trade Show in Frankfurt.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Northfield Minnesota
Book 36 "The Help"
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Book 35 "One Good Dog"
Friday, September 23, 2011
Sven and Ole's Books in New Ulm, Minnesota
I found this little book store in New Ulm, Minnesota. It was a cute little German themed town that had its own local brewery (Schell's Brewery founded in 1860 and one of America's oldest).
What German town doesn't revolve itself around beer? So, naturally I tried a special brew called Schell's Banana Beer. You read that correctly... "Banana Beer". It wasn't that bad and had a hint of fruity sweetness to the brew. I continued to check out the rest of New Ulm and found that it had a few hidden gems on its main street, one being a book store on the corner "Sven and Ole's".
You can't get away naming a book store in New Ulm "Churchhill's Books" or "Richie's Bookland". The whole fashion of New Ulm is nothing short of German fantasyland. In fact, New Ulm boast the most German city in Minnesota with a working Glockenspiel clock in its city park (figures and all at least 3 times a day!). So, Sven and Ole's works around the German theme and has a complete set of gnomes in its windowsill to put the finishing touch on it.
My adventure continued INSIDE the store. It was filled with both used and new books, full refinished wood floors with original brick walls along the store. In addition, the look of the store was appealing, but the service was exceptional. I purchased a few books in Sven and Ole's, but I appreciated the fact that they were willing to have me be a part of their little book club even though I lived another state away and their front desk clerks were friendly and helpful. If you are traveling around central or southern Minnesota, go visit New Ulm. If books are your passion, go visit my friends at Sven and Ole's Books.
http://www.svenandolesbooks.com/
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Book 34 "Robopocalypse"
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Book 33 "Bossypants"
Book 32 "Fall of Giants"
Monday, September 19, 2011
Book 31 "The Catcher and the Rye"
BY
J.D. Salinger
Why in the world would I include The Catcher in the Rye to my reading list?
#1 Because it was a book I probably should have read in High School but didn't bother reading.
#2 It ranks in the top 10 all-time of "banned books".
Banned books?? Come on! Who could resist? I will raise my hand and proclaim from the top of my lungs "Not me!" So, I went out (even at the risk of being monitored by the FBI and CIA) and purchased a copy at the local book store. However...for the record..I used cash so they couldn't trace it back to me. (And just in case the FBI or CIA are reading this....maybe it was me, or maybe it was someone else).
The book was an interesting read. I shouldn't joke about the FBI and CIA interest in the book. It was the hot topic ssurrounding the death of Beatles legend John Lennon. Since the killer used the book as his reason for killing Lennon and was completely obsessed with The Catcher in the Rye. Conspiracy theorist have used the book as a source of hypnosis and brainwashing suggestion used by the FBI or CIA for years.
MY TAKE
It amazes me after reading such a simple little book that it could literally cause such a big stir in our society. The book was literally banned in several school districts and some teachers were fired from using it in their literature curriculum. In addition, some thought it was racist, and exposed children to unnecessary violence. Welcome to 2011, where gangster rap is king. Violence in the book? Seems ordinary to me. Language? Fairly minor compared to Stephen King. Victim to the innocence of the 50's?? Probably.
The book itself showed a change in direction from developing characters more than developing the plot. It's easy to get lost in the main characters ramblings. In the end, the book didn't amaze me as a brilliant piece of work, but more a piece of history.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Book 30 "The Sacred Acre"
The Sacred Acre
(The Ed Thomas Story)
By
Mark Tabb with Ed Thomas Family
Gut wrenching true story of Ed Thomas, 2005 NFL High School Coach of the year of Applington-Parkersburg Iowa.
A story of an EF5 Tornado that destroys the town, and a murder of a local and national hero. However, faith and forgiveness rule the day as the story unfolds.
My Take
I knew Ed Thomas. I didn't know him very well, but I helped prepare NU High School football team back in the late nineties to go against Ed and the A-P Falcons. I was coaching middle school at the time and helped breakdown film, help the high school staff and prepare the team. He was an amazing coach who produced 4 NFL players from his program. (That's almost unheard in the world of high school athletics). His teams were always tough and ready to play.
I appreciated the unknown story of Ed. His story behind the scenes. He was an amazing man and the book lays out every detail. I cried my way through this book, but it doesn't end as one would expect. This isn't just a story of Ed Thomas. The story is much bigger and it's exactly as Ed Thomas would want it. A story proclaiming the message of hope and grace of Jesus Christ.
Moving and worth a read. If you are personally struggling... YOU should read this book.
Monday, September 5, 2011
Book 29 "The Art Of Racing In The Rain"
By
Garth Stein
On the eve of his death, Enzo takes stock of his life, recalling all that he and his family have been through: the sacrifices Denny has made to succeed professionally; the unexpected loss of Eve, Denny's wife; the three-year battle over their daughter, Zoe, whose maternal grandparents pulled every string to gain custody. In the end, despite what he sees as his own limitations, Enzo comes through heroically to preserve the Swift family, holding in his heart the dream that Denny will become a racing champion with Zoe at his side. Having learned what it takes to be a compassionate and successful person, the wise canine can barely wait until his next lifetime, when he is sure he will return as a man.
My Take
I didn't like this book.....
I LOVED this book.
It was hard to put down, until the end. I also appreciated Garth Stein's ability to add resolution and a good ending.
As a Dog lover, I appreciated the fact that Enzo (the dog) was the narrator. It made for an enjoyable read and hit on every emotional level. Stein took liberty in portraying how a dog thinks, and feels. He must have been a dog once upon a time? If he wasn't totally accurate on his portrayal he had to be close!
Sara Gruen, author of Water For Elephants, added these words-
"The Art of Racing in the Rain has everything: love, tragedy, redemption, danger, and-most especially-the canine narrator Enzo. This old soul of a dog has much to teach us about being human. I loved this book."
I loved this book too and highly recommend it!
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Book 28 "No Country For Old Men"
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Book 27 "Water for Elephants"
A charming story of a young man in search of himself and who finds himself running away with the circus. The story unfolds itself to reveal a circus struggling for survival during the "Great Depression" and every man for himself. The plot thickens further with a love affair and a murder.
I'll be honest. I tried to avoid this book. It was on every bookstore shelf throughout the country and to add to my suspicion it came out in a major motion picture. So, I wasn't sure if I was simply getting caught up in the "hoop-la" or finding mmyself with a brilliant book overtaken by the masses? What I found was a marvelous story woven between adventure, tragedy, comedy, and romance. My recommendation would be to read the book. (Although I've heard the movie follows the book closely).
Between reading Water for Elephants and the Help I have found myself to be wrong on both accounts. I was surprised with this book and highly recommend it.
What really struck me
The brilliance in which Sara Gruen wrote the language between characters. The narrative was genius and the words coming from "old man Jacob" sounded realistic and was perfect. It shed a light on the world of a nursing home and the world of a circus all in one book.