BOOK CLUB CLASSICS!

photo credit: peggydavis66

Back on track with the Literary Stampede…  Have a great Saturday!!

• Teacher suspended for teaching The Freedom Writers’ Diary
• What travellers are reading
• First time titles
• Brand new historical mysteries
• Hottest books of the week
• Books authors ditched
• Lit Spam!?

photo credit: specialkrb

This week, rather than choosing an author that I think best represents his/her home state, I am highlighting an author new to me on the recommendation of one of my readers!  Thank you, Sherry, for introducing me to Elmer Kelton!

After reading Sherry’s comment, I checked out Kelton’s website and was immediately impressed by the accolades and awards he has won — he was voted “all-time best western author by the Western Writers of America,” was a four-time winner of the Western Heritage Award from the National Cowboy Hall of Fame, and won the Silver Spur Award seven times. 

 
photo credit: a4gpa

Considering that Texas still represents the (wild) West to so many of us living in the tamer regions of the U.S., it seems high time that I become acquainted with the “all-time best of the west“!  Kelton has written 40 novels, including two series, and I would love some help deciding which one to try…

Here is a quote from Kelton regarding one novel that was turned into a TNT miniseries:

“The Good Old Boys is probably the closest I have ever come to writing from sheer inspiration. Hewey Calloway and the other characters took hold of the story like a cold-jawed horse grabbing onto the bit, and about all I could do was hang on for the ride.”—

photo credit: CoreBurn

I also found this summary of his memoir (on his website) and thought it sounded like a good read:

Sandhills Boy is Kelton’s memoir, a funny and poignant story of  “a freckle-faced country boy, green as a gourd, a sheep ready to be sheared,” growing up in the wild, dry, sandhills of West Texas. The son of a working cowboy and ranch foreman, Elmer was expected to follow in father’s footsteps but learned at an early age that he had no talents in the cowboy’s trade. Buck Kelton called Elmer “Pop,” said he was “slow as the seven-year itch,” and reluctantly supported his son’s decision to become a student at the University of Texas, and, eventually, a journalist and writer.

Photo by marxchivist

First, from Melanie Jones:

Alabama: To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee (check out my To Kill A Mockingbird Sample Kit!)

Michigan: The Virgin Suicides by Jeffery Eugenides

Alaska: The Man Who Swam With Beavers by Nancy Lord

Arizona: The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver

North Dakota: Peace Like a River by Leif Enger

Vermont: The Secret History by Donna Tartt

Hawaii: Heads by Harry by Lois-ann Yamanaka

Georgia: Leaving Atlanta by Tayari Jones

And I went out on my own for…

Florida: Their Eyes Were Watching God by Nora Zeale Hurston

Minnesota: In the Lake of the Woods by Tim O’Brien

Wisconsin: When Madeline Was Young by Jane Hamilton

Louisiana: Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells (Jones’ pick) and The Awakening by Kate Chopin (my pick)

Colorado: Plainsong by Kent Haruf

Maryland: Anything by Anne Tyler

Georgia: Awakening by Kate Chopin

Ohio: The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

Arkansas: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

Virginia: John Grisham

Idaho: Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson

North Carolina: Ellen Foster by Kaye Gibbons

Tennesee: Run by Ann Patchett

New Jersey: Anything by Janet Ivanovich

Wondering where your state is?  Coming soon…  In the meantime, weigh in on future picks!
 

It’s a holiday weekend here in the U.S., so let’s keep today’s question simple–What are you reading? Anything special? Any particularly juicy summer reading?

Well, I just finished The Brothers Karamazov this morning — hallelujah!  So, I am now free to finish Hearts of Horses by Molly Gloss (really good so far — look for a review soon…), and The Knitting Circle by Ann Hood. 

Happily, my mom and grandma are visiting, too, so I probably won’t get to my reading until later in the weekend.  But I’ll be sure to review whatever I finish!

What about you?  What are you hoping to read this nice, long weekend?

photo credit: sundaykofax

This should have been posted last Saturday!  Oops…  I hope you enjoy these tidbits anyway!

• My personal favorite of the week…  10 Great Baseball Books (yet another reason I love Chabon)
• Critics’ most-loathed books
• First Time Titles
• Hottest Books of the Week
• Review of the Reviews
• Burning is too good for these classics?
• Picoult’s The Tenth Circle comes to Lifetime…  Tonight!

Sorry about the last one…  that movie was last Saturday — but I’m sure they will replay it…  right? 

You-Turn: Changing Direction in Midlife by Dr. Nancy Irwin

Released: 2008 / 277 pages

First paragraph: “What is it with society and numbers? Start school at age 6, graduate high school at 18, finish college by 22 and retire at 65. And who says we have to stop growing, changing and evolving as we continue to grow up? Not me. And not the millions who, as they reach what I call “middlescence,” stand at the crossroads of their past and future and decide to take an alternate route.”

Summary (from back cover): You-Turn: Changing Direction in Midlife is a collection of inspiring stories from real people who started a new path and will motivate you to do the same. Whether you’re looking to change careers, begin a relationship, have children, find meaning or just find balance, this book is for you. It also includes a “drivers manual” and tips on easing yourself into a life of change.

Review: Well, my long-time readers will understand why I agreed to read this Advance Reader Copy! A year ago I stepped away from a fifteen year teaching career to examine the direction of my own life.

Since then, I have started this blog (and a second one is about to be launched next week!), trained to become an online teacher, and embraced the flexibility and freedom my life was lacking.  As I’ve written before, it has been a wonderful, much-needed year and I’m hoping to continue to find ways to embrace this sense of energy and peace, no matter what my next chapter looks like.

So, reading stories about others who changed direction mid-life was just too alluring to pass… and I’m glad I didn’t!  Now, granted, each and every story was MUCH more interesting, challenging, and inspiring than mine has been (thankfully, in most cases, since many of the changes were born from tragedy).  Many of the stories focus on how people are able to turn adversity and pain into new endeavors that benefit many, many other people. 

For example, the first story involves a mother whose 24 year old daughter commits suicide.  As the family is collecting her things, they notice that she had been donating money to an orphanage in India.  So, after the mother asked that mourners donate to this orphanage in her daughter’s name, the orphanage contacted her and now, 8 years later, this woman runs Rising Star Outreach, a volunteer organization that helps leprosy victims in India.  The stories are each told by the actual person and are both quick to read and inspiring to witness. 

Before the 40 stories are told, the book begins with a couple of sections setting up a framework for how to make a significant change, including questions to help identify what is and is not working in your current situation. For example:

• What would you do if you knew you could not fail?
• If money were no object, what would you be doing?
• If time were no obstacle, what would you be doing?

While these questions are not ground-breaking or original, reading 40 stories of people who either “fell into” or actively chose a different direction is truly inspiring and does give new life to questions that otherwise might seem stale.

Who would enjoy this?  I would recommend this book to anyone considering a change or who enjoys inspiring stories of perserverance (like the Chicken Soup books, for example).

If this sounds like something you might enjoy — you are in luck!  I am giving away a free copy! 

And to connect to my own story, as I wrote Monday, I am currently participating in Blogging Idol.  So, in order to enter the random drawing for a free copy, simply tell a friend about my blog and then leave me a comment below!  The idea behind Blogging Idol is to get even more readers, so I figure I’ll try to get word of mouth working for me!  :) 

Also, if you enjoy reading my blog, but are not currently a subscriber (which simply means that you get my daily updates sent directly to you through email or a reader), consider subscribing!  It’s free and easy…  (the subscription form is at the top of my blog).  Either way, thanks for reading!