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The Longest Trip Home, by John Grogan
Rebecca at The Book Lady's Blog reminded me that this memoir was released October 21. I'd read her review the previous week, but was too busy to post Friday Finds. In that review, she wrote:
I really don’t have words for how beautiful and moving The Longest Trip Home is. It revels in the simplicity of childhood and the complexity of growing up and the uncomfortable, all-important process of finding ourselves and breaking away. And it celebrates the heartbreaking beauty of a perfectly ordinary life. But ultimately, it celebrates family and the deep, indescribable, often unexplainable bonds that both lift us up and bring us to our knees.
The Longest Trip Home ranks among the best books I’ve read in the last several years, and I think almost everyone will find something to relate to and enjoy in it. This one gets a wholehearted 5 out of 5.
And this week Rebecca wrote, "I think everyone should read it. It was that good. Plus, it will make an excellent holiday gift, or a recommendation for that infrequent reader who asks you to suggest a few books at next week’s dinner party, or just a nice way to treat yourself to an enjoyable read on a cool fall evening." OK Rebecca, I'm paying attention. I loved Grogan's first book, Marley and Me. And before he became a rich and famous author, I really enjoyed his regular columns in the Philadelphia Inquirer. For those who only know him as someone who wrote a cute and touching dog story, this is an opportunity to experience the true breadth & depth of his writing talent.
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What great books did you hear about this week? Share them in Friday Finds!
What great books did you hear about this week? Share them in Friday Finds!
The Hiding Place, by Corrie Ten Boom
No sooner did I publish last week's Friday Finds, when I came across a review by Bethany at B&b Ex Libris. Not only did her review pique my interest in reading this book, but it reminded me that I'd picked the book up at a library sale ages ago, and pressed it on my daughter as one of those things she "should" read. But I've never read it myself. Now I think I must ... onto the TBR it goes!
What great books did you hear about this week? Share them in Friday Finds!
I know I've heard of this book, but failed to make a note of it before. When Nicola at Back to Books published her review this week, I knew it was a "Friday Find." The story unfolds through the eyes of several characters -- I tend to like the revolving point of view as it can add such depth to a story. And then I was convinced by Nicola's closing paragraph:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I really hate to gush in my reviews but all I want to say about this book is "Wow! Wow! Wow!". Beautiful, brilliant, sad, and disheartening yet ending on a bittersweet slight glimpse of hope. I felt for each and every one of the six main characters. It takes a lot of skill to write a book through the eyes of 6 different people but Jordan pulls it off with flowing grace. Beautiful and heartrending. Read this book!
What great books did you hear about this week? Share them in Friday Finds!
Letter to my Daughter, by Maya Angelou Reviewed by Rebecca over at The Book Lady's Blog, this sounds like a fabulous collection of essays. Rebecca's review included several quotes that really grabbed my attention. She rated it 5 out of 5 and wrote, "At just 166 pages, this small volume is page-for-page one of the most valuable books I’ve read in a very long time ... Angelou has lived a long and interesting life, and I’m so grateful that she’s chosen to continue sharing her experiences with us. I hope this won’t be the last time." I can't resist this one.
This was reviewed by Trevor at The Mookse and the Gripes. I enjoy Trevor's reviews, and his unique format. He always begins with preliminary thoughts called "Before you Read this Book," then writes his review, and ends with "After you Read the Book," which is a nice way to deal with spoilers. This is a book about a troubled marriage in the mid-1950s, but the writing is what Trevor most appreciated. His review includes several tantalizing quotes which make this sound like a book I'd enjoy.
Wendy, aka Caribousmom, posted a fantastic review this week. If Wendy likes a book, I know I will like it too, and she gave this one 4 1/2 stars. This book is the story of a young woman who, on her father's death, discovers that her family is not what she thought. Thus begins a search for truth. Wendy liked the main character, Clarissa, the spare prose, and the questions posed by the plot. This one sounds great.
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What great books did you hear about this week? Share them in Friday Finds!
This is my first post for Jenn's Friday Finds. My motivation is a bit selfish here, actually. I keep running across interesting-sounding books both in the blogosphere and on LibraryThing, but in the busy-ness of life I usually fail to make a note of it and then I lose track of a potentially great read. My Friday Finds posts will be something I can search through for inspiration later. And hopefully my finds will be useful to my readers as well!
So I actually picked a quiet week to start, with only two books really grabbing my attention:
Buxton Spice by Oonya Kempadoo
One of my LibraryThing friends recently posted her thoughts on this book, saying she admired Kempadoo's poetic writing. She also hinted at some technical flaws, but recommended it for those who enjoy reading globally, since Kempadoo is from Guyana. This is a country I haven't "visited" yet, so this could be a good choice.
One of my LibraryThing friends recently posted her thoughts on this book, saying she admired Kempadoo's poetic writing. She also hinted at some technical flaws, but recommended it for those who enjoy reading globally, since Kempadoo is from Guyana. This is a country I haven't "visited" yet, so this could be a good choice.
Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, by Deborah Madison
I learned about this book reading Six Cookbooks For A Better-Eating Kitchen. Eat. Drink. Better. is a great blog about the environmental issues surrounding our food choices. Having adopted a vegetarian diet about six months ago, I'm always on the lookout for more recipes. This could be an excellent addition to my cooking library. Tomorrow I'll be checking this out of my local public library to preview before buying!
I learned about this book reading Six Cookbooks For A Better-Eating Kitchen. Eat. Drink. Better. is a great blog about the environmental issues surrounding our food choices. Having adopted a vegetarian diet about six months ago, I'm always on the lookout for more recipes. This could be an excellent addition to my cooking library. Tomorrow I'll be checking this out of my local public library to preview before buying!
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What great books did you hear about this week? Share them in Friday Finds!
