Great belated addition to the “Big Read” hosted by Lansing Community Library from my uncle.
Tag: books
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Grist for the Mill: What America’s Next Top Model Can Teach You About Publishing – http://www.kameronhurley.com/grist-for-the-mill-what-americas-next-top-model-can-teach-you-about-your-publishing-career/
Words of wisdom for young and old, models, actors and writers.
Posted from WordPress for Android via my Samsung smartphone. Please excuse any misspellings. Ciao, Jon
Big Read Wrap-Up
The Lansing Community Library completed a successful Big Read of O’Brien’s The Things They Carried with a writing memoir workshop led by the same professor who moderated the panel discussion back in December. I took copious notes, but sadly no group photos. The workshop was well attended and I recorded the audio portion (as I can’t always take notes fast enough) and include it here for your enjoyment. In fact, I’m not sure where I put my notes.
Raw Recording of Memoir Writing Workshop
And, just for completeness’ sake, I’ll include the raw recording of the second group discussion led by a local English professor from the University of St. Mary:
Raw Recording of Second Big Read Book Discussion
I attended all the events and enjoyed all of them. I’m looking forward to the next adult reading program the library cooks up.
Book Bingo
Lansing Community Library‘s Winter Reading Program
Book Bingo
Here’s my adult bingo card so far:
| B | I | N | G | O |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| An Author Whose Last Name Stars With a “W” | A Book in a Series | A Nobel Prize in Literature Winner Book | Read a Favorite Book from Your Childhood | Check Out and Read a Magazine |
| A Book Related to Science Fiction | A Book Related to Science | An Author Whose Name Starts With a “M” | A Dystopian themed Book | An Author Whose Name Starts With a “B” |
| A Fairy/Folk Tale Book | A Non-Fiction Book | *** Free Space! *** |
Classic Literature | A Book About Time Travel |
| An Audiobook | An eBook | A Suspense Novel | A Book about a President | Historical Fiction |
| A book That Was on Display in the Library | A Caldecott Book (Winner or Honor) | A Book That Was Made into a Movie | A Biography | A Book About Kansas |
A Green highlight means I’ve already read a book that fits that category (and possibly more than one category). I’ll figure out where to put them once I finish a couple more books. To see what I’ve read so far this year (2015), visit my GoodReads book challenge page here. Or click here to see what I’m currently reading.
A Yellow highlight means I have books I could read right now that fit that spot.
Looks like I need to find a book about a President to read. Any ideas?
Big Read Book Discussion Wed 14 Jan 2015 6:30 pm
The second Big Read book discussion of The Things They Carried by O’Brien starts tomorrow evening, 6:30 p.m., at the Lansing Community Library, 730 1st Terrace, Suite 1, Lansing, Kansas.
Questions to think about:
- In the list of all the things the soldiers carried, what item was most surprising?
- Which item did you find most evocative of the war?
- Which items stay with you?
Leading the discussion: Sister Rosemary Kolich, English Professor, St. Mary University.
A 1980 Saint Mary College grad, Sr. Kolich never dreamed as a student she would one day be teaching at her alma mater.
“I had excellent teachers as a student at Saint Mary. They truly engaged us. What was so transparent was their love of teaching and their commitment to us as both students and individuals. I hope I model the same for my students.”
∞∞∞
I plan on attending the discussion tomorrow evening and I hope to see you there.
Book Review: Judy by Lewis (3.5 stars)
Judy: A Dog in a Million by Damien Lewis
Read in late November 2014
Publisher’s Synopsis:
British bestselling author Damien Lewis is an award-winning journalist who has spent twenty years reporting from war, disaster, and conflict zones. Now Lewis brings his first-rate narrative skills to bear on the inspiriting tale of Judy–an English pointer who perhaps was the only canine prisoner of war.
After being bombed and shipwrecked repeatedly while serving for several wild and war-torn years as a mascot of the World War II Royal Navy Yangtze river gunboats the Gnat and the Grasshopper, Judy ended up in Japanese prisoner of war camps in North Sumatra. Along with locals as slave labor, the American, Australian, and British POWs were forced to build a 1,200-mile single-track railroad through the most horrifying jungles and treacherous mountain passes. Like the one immortalized in the film The Bridge on the River Kwai, this was the other death-railroad building project where POWs slaved under subhuman conditions.
In the midst of this living hell was a beautiful and regal-looking liver and white English pointer named Judy. Whether she was scavenging food to help feed the starving inmates of a hellish Japanese POW camp, or by her presence alone bringing inspiration and hope to men, she was cherished and adored by the Allied servicemen who fought to survive alongside her.
Judy’s uncanny ability to sense danger, matched with her quick thinking and impossible daring saved countless lives. More than a close companion she shared in both the men’s tragedies and joys. It was in recognition of the extraordinary friendship and protection she offered amidst the unforgiving and savage environment of a Japanese prison camp in Indonesia that she gained her formal status as a POW. From the author of The Dog Who Could Fly and the co-author of Sergeant Rex and It’s All About Treo comes one of the most heartwarming and inspiring tales you will ever read.
My Thoughts:
Reminded me quite a bit of Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption, but not as well written.
I love a good dog story, but Judy became a minor player during most of this book. Continue reading “Book Review: Judy by Lewis (3.5 stars)”
BOOK REVIEW: Ancillary Sword by Ann Leckie | SF Signal
http://www.sfsignal.com/archives/2014/10/book-review-ancillary-sword-by-ann-leckie/
Another review of Ancillary Sword and it is a bit more in depth than the previous one I reblogged earlier today.
Posted from WordPress for Android via my Samsung smartphone. Please excuse any misspellings. Ciao, Jon
Mini-review: Ancillary Sword by Ann Leckie
I can’t wait to start reading this. I may have to ditch the other three novels I’m in the middle of just to return to Breq and the Radchaai Empire. Meanwhile, Stefan gives Ancillary Sword his highest recommendation.
Book Review: A Call to Duty by Weber and Zahn (4 Stars)
by David Weber and Timothy Zahn
A new series in the Honorverse, slated to be released next week. We find ourselves back before Manticore knew it had a major wormhole, back before it had any spaceship building industry and soon after a Plague that wiped out much of its nascent population. One of our protagonists is Travis Long, who enlists in the RMN (Royal Manticore Navy) while his supposed friends rob a neighboring jewelry store. Travis acquires a couple of monikers during basic training that reflect upon his always by the book philosophy with respect to rules and regulations. The political climate on Manticore has a faction of the civilian government clambering to dismantle the Navy and/or replace it with a Coast Guard like service that patrols the local system and protects merchants and miners from pirates. The action ramps up when Manticore sends representatives to a Haven sponsored military surplus spaceship sale. Pirates (or what we are led to believe are pirates initially) masquerading as legitimate buyers attempt a heist of their own on a much grander scale than Travis’ juvenile delinquent buddies.
Continue reading “Book Review: A Call to Duty by Weber and Zahn (4 Stars)”
Living in the Spirit Cover Reveal
Cover reveal for my uncle’s first book. Available now (a bit early) from some retailers.