The Literary Lioness

Yule Log!

2011-12-24T00:08:00.005-05:00

For many years Channel 11, WPIX in New York City (one of the oldest TV stations in the country), would present the "Yule Log" on Christmas Eve. While the Yule Log burned, Christmas carols would play. Now my childhood home did have a fireplace, but there was something about the Yule Log on Channel 11 that made us happy. It became a New York area tradition. I hope you enjoy it! This particular Yule Log was shown in 1983.

After a few years off the air, the Yule Log was restored back to Channel 11 a few years ago, and now is seen on many stations around the country.

There is, of course, a fan website devoted to The Yule Log.

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I'm taking a short break from my blogs to concentrate on the holidays, catch up on my reading and to focus my energies on some work projects.

So I'll see you sometime early next year!

Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

We Have Winners!

2011-12-18T00:05:00.002-05:00

We have the winners of the last two book giveaways:

The winner of Jan Karon's Shepherds Abiding is Natasha!

The winner of Gabrielle Donnelly's The Little Women Letters is Melissa!

Natasha and Melissa, your books have been sent to you. I hope that you enjoy them.

Congratulations and thanks to all who entered!

Book Review and Giveaway! The Little Women Letters by Gabrielle Donnelly

2011-12-10T18:56:00.016-05:00

The Little Women Letters is Gabrielle Donnelly’s imagining of a future generation of the March sisters, who first appeared in Louisa May Alcott’s book, Little Women. The Atwater sisters of London are direct descendents of Jo March from Louisa May Alcott’s classic semi-autobiographical novel.

The Atwaters are a modern London family consisting of Fee, the feminist American mother; David, the good-natured British father; and daughters Emma, the perfect sister planning her wedding; Lulu, the rebel; and Sophie, the ambitious actress. They have not been particularly interested in family history, mocking their New England forebears with exaggerated hillbilly accents.

One day Fee asks her daughter Lulu to search for old family cookbooks in the attic. While searching through dusty family possessions, Lulu discovers a cache of old family letters – including letters Jo March wrote to her sisters, Meg, Amy, and the departed Beth. As Lulu begins to read through the letters, she suddenly realizes that great-great grandmother Jo was not merely some remote ancestor but a real human being with frailties and dreams. As a matter of fact, some of their tribulations that Jo and her sisters faced in the nineteenth century are not so very different from what the Atwater sisters face in the 21st century.

Lulu has been struggling to find her identity and what career path she wants to follow. During the book Lulu wanders through several jobs including at an art and auction house, bar maid, dog walker, and in a toy store. Lulu also despairs of finding romance, wondering if she will ever find a soul mate.

The Little Women letters is a charming extension of the Little Women story, which began with Little Women, and was followed by Little Men and Jo’s Boys. It does help to have read Louisa May Alcott’s classic although you don’t have to read it to enjoy this story. Sometimes I had to remind myself that Donnelly wrote all of the letters in the book. She has been careful to try to capture the spirit of the original. Interestingly, the real-life Louisa May Alcott had a namesake niece who was nicknamed “Lulu”. Clearly, Donnelly has done her research.

Even though there a couple of difficult events happen, this is a happy book. I would have wished probably more depth to the situations facing the Atwaters, and sometimes I thought the answers were obvious (for example, it was obvious to me from the beginning what Lulu should choose as a career!), but this book is meant to be fun, light reading. If you loved Little Women, you will enjoy The Little Women Letters.

Disclosure: I received a free advanced reading copy (paperback) of The Little Women Letters at BookExpo America. The hardcover copy I am giving away is a part of my personal collection.

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Win a hardcover copy of The Little Women Letters!

Hurry! Fill out the form below by Thursday, December 15, 2011 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time!

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Giveaway: Shepherds Abiding by Jan Karon

2011-11-27T16:01:00.014-05:00

I am giving away a copy of Shepherds Abiding (The Mitford Years, Book 8) by Jan Karon!

From the flyleaf:

Since he was a boy growing up in Mississippi, Father Tim has lived what he calls "the life of the mind." Except for cooking and gardening and washing his dog, he never learned to savor the work of his hands. And then he finds a derelict nativity scene--twenty figures, including a flock of sheep, that have suffered the indignities of time and neglect.

Could he give the small company new life? Restore the camel's ear, repaint every piece, replace a missing nose on a wise man? "You can't teach an old dog new tricks!" he reminds himself. It's when he imagines the excitement in Cynthia's eyes that he steps up to the plate--and begins a small journey of faith that touches everyone around him.

The eight novel in the bestselling Mitford Years series is a mediation on the best of all presents--the gift of one's heart. Lovingly written and beautifully illustrated, it seeks to restore the true Christmas spirit and give everyone a seat at Mitford's holiday table.

To enter, fill out the form below! You must answer every question to enter.

You must follow this blog to enter.

Deadline for entries is Monday, December 5th, 2011 at 11:59 PM EST.

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The Winner of The Writing Diet Giveaway Is . . .

2011-11-24T19:34:00.003-05:00

Shannon B.!

Congratulations, Shannon! Your book is on your way to you right now!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I'll be back next week. Have a wonderful holiday weekend!

Musing Mondays #1

2011-11-21T18:43:00.003-05:00

Should Be Reading hosts Musing Mondays every week!

This week’s musing asks…

How do you decide to read a book by an author you haven’t read before? What sort of recommendations count most highly in making that decision?

Since I mostly read non-fiction and literary fiction, it has to be a subject that interests me. I am not interested in paranormal or vampires.

For example, I had never read any of Susan Orlean’s books before, but when I was at Book Expo America in May, I saw an advanced reading copy (ARC) of Rin Tin Tin and knew that I had to read it. This was partly because earlier in the day I had heard someone ask about the book and the publishers said it wasn’t out on the tables yet, but might be later in the day. The ARCs were stacked on tables, and you could just grab the ones you wanted.

I had never heard about the book before, but I was intrigued. I love animals, and had heard of the canine movie and TV star, even though the movies and the TV show were produced before I was born and had never actually seen any of them.

When I saw Rin Tin Tin on a table much later that day, I made sure to grab it. I just hope the man who asked about it earlier got a free copy!

I reviewed Rin Tin Tin here.

Book Review: Fifth Avenue, 5 A.M. by Sam Wasson

2011-11-17T22:49:00.000-05:00

Fifth Avenue, 5 A.M.: Audrey Hepburn, Breakfast at Tiffany's, and the Dawn of the Modern Woman is Sam Wasson's examination of the iconic film Breakfast At Tiffany’s, and why that was a key film in the changing of women’s roles in modern society.

Breakfast at Tiffany’s was originally a novella written by the talented Truman Capote. In Holly Golightly, Capote created a new woman and one of the most original characters in modern fiction. She was free-spirited and made no apologies for being a sexually active woman.

Capote envisioned Marilyn Monroe in the lead role of the film adaptation. But the producers didn’t see it that way. They knew the character would need to be toned down a bit for the film, and they wanted someone more . . . refined.

Audrey Hepburn is a modern icon, but how did she get that way? She made several very successful movies in the 1950s, including Roman Holiday, Sabrina, and Funny Face. In all these films she is charming but always a lady.

Hepburn found her fashion muse in Hubert de Givenchy, who created the wardrobes for several of her films, including her iconic “little black dress” in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. The opening credits set the scene for the film (and for the cover of the book). It is early morning and Holly Golightly is wearing a long black dress. She has obviously been out all night. This dress came to be seen by young women as liberating. This dress wasn’t girlish or sweet – it was sexy.

Hepburn was nervous about making the film, because she was uneasy about Holly Golightly’s character – amoral, essentially a hooker. Hepburn was intensely aware of her stature of classy refinement – she first made a splash playing a European princess in Roman Holiday.

Henry Mancini had written scores for television, but was determined to write a score for this film. He was turned down but eventually wrote the film’s theme song (with lyrics by Johnny Mercer), “Moon River.”

George Axelrod had written the play and film The Seven Year Itch, but was determined to write Tiffany’s. The play was considered smutty, and no one considered Axelrod the right writer to pen such a classy film. He eventually did write the script for the film.

All of these factors came together into the making of Breakfast at Tiffany’s, which in retrospect is a landmark film. You can’t imagine the movie without Hepburn, “Moon River”, or the little black dress.

This film was made at a time when filmmaking was still a labor of love – it wasn’t just about making the latest blockbuster or having the most special effects.

The movie was made in 1960 – the same year the birth control pill was approved for use in the United States – and released in 1961. The beginning of the sexual revolution had begun.

Wasson’s theory is that this film had a profound impact on young women at that time. Even if young women watching the film didn’t want Holly’s “profession” – they wanted a real career – they admired her liberated spirit. This new generation of young women wanted to have a fun, glamorous, slightly hedonistic existence of which they were in charge– and not have to apologize for it.

Wasson brings all of these disparate threads together to tell a fascinating story of how the movie came to be made and how everything eventually came seamlessly together. The film has become essential viewing, especially by young women. This is the film for which Audrey Hepburn is best remembered.

I loved this book because I love the film and Audrey Hepburn and was interested in how the movie came to be and why it has become such ah important film that even the young women of today love Audrey Hepburn and know this film. Wasson has done a fine job of research, talking to some of the participants involved and is obviously devoted to the subject. He has written a previous biography of Breakfast At Tiffany’s director, Blake Edwards.

I recommend this book if you love movies, Truman Capote, Audrey Hepburn, and Breakfast at Tiffany’s.

Click on the first badge below to order Fifth Avenue, 5 A.M.

Disclaimer: This book is part of my personal collection.

Every week Parajunkee and Alison Can Read host Follow My Book Blog Friday!

This week's question: Letter to Santa: Tell Santa what books you want for Christmas!

Answer:

Dear My Favorite Santa:

The last time we were in Barnes & Noble I waved a certain book at you and told you clearly that this is what I want for Christmas. I wanted to make it obvious about what I wanted since some of your previous gifts have clearly told me that like most men you are clueless about buying gifts for me (a rolling clothing rack -- really?)

Thank you Santa Baby.

Love,

The Literary Lioness

Giveaway: The Writing Diet by Julia Cameron

2011-11-16T10:20:00.015-05:00

Win a hardcover copy of The Writing Diet: Write Yourself Right-Size by Julia Cameron!

On the flyleaf:

Over the course of the past twenty-five years, Julia Cameron has taught thousands of artists and aspiring artists how to unblock wellsprings of creativity. And time and again she has noticed an interesting thing: Often in uncovering their creative selves her students also undergo a surprising physical transformation -- invigorated by their work, they slim down. In The Writing Diet, Cameron illuminates the relationship between creativity and eating to reveal a crucial equation: Creativity can block overeating.

Giveaway ends on Tuesday, November 22, 2011 at 11:59 PM EST. So hurry!

Fill out the form below (you must answer all the questions) and follow this blog to enter!

I will email the winner and the winner's name will be posted on this blog on Thanksgiving Day!

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It's Sunday-Monday Blog Hop Time!

2011-11-13T23:55:00.002-05:00

Each week for In My Mailbox by The Story Siren we show what books we have acquired that week (it doesn't have to be in the mailbox.

At Bargain Book Bonanza at Baja Greenawalt's Cozy Book Nook we are asked what books we have acquired this week -- at deep discount.

This week I went to a used book sale and bought:

1. Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand (hardcover!)
2. Hunger of Memory by Richard Rodriguez
3. The Bookseller of Kabul by Asne Seierstad
4. Room by Emma Donoghue (hardcover!)
5. The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat by Oliver Sacks
6. One Writer's Beginnings by Eudora Welty
7. Double Fold: Libraries and the Assault on Paper by Nicholson Baker

All for less than $15.00!

I was especially shocked to see Unbroken because it is still on the bestseller lists and usually this sale doesn't have current bestsellers.

Every week at It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? at Book Journey we show what we are currently reading.

I'm reading The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot.

Book Review: Summer at Tiffany by Marjorie Hart

2011-11-10T22:05:00.014-05:00

Do you remember the best summer of your life?

Summer at Tiffany is Marjorie Hart's charming tale of working at Tiffany's during the summer of 1945. Marjorie and her best friend Marty, naive sorority girls from the University of Iowa, are determined to spend the summer working in New York.

They somehow land jobs at Tiffany's, the exclusive jewelry store, even though there had never been any women working on the floor. Marjorie and Marty work as pages, and spend a memorable summer as celebrities enter the store, the girls find romance, and try to survive on incredibly little money.

The summer of 1945 was a memorable one in New York, as an small airplane crashed into the Empire State Building, and World War II ended, sparking off wild celebrations in the streets of New York. New York was an innocent world of dances, Schrafft's, and eating at the Automat.

This book is a lovely remembrance of a time long past but worth remembering.

Disclosure: This book is part of my personal collection.

Every week Parajunkee's View and Alison Can Read host Follow My Book Blog Friday.

This week's question:

In light of 11.11.11 and Veteran’s Day tell us about your favorite soldier and how he or she is saving the world. Fictional or real life.

I don't really know any soldiers personally, and since I'm a first-generation American, none of my relatives served in the American military. They may have served in either the Swedish or Danish military, though!

I'm wracking my brain to see if I can remember any soldiers from any books that I've read but I can't! I tend to avoid war movies, although I do remember Saving Private Ryan! That's it! Tom Hanks in Saving Private Ryan (WWII) and as Forrest Gump (Vietnam). Bubba Shrimp, anyone?

Book Review: The New York Regional Mormon Single Halloween Dance: A Memoir by Elna Baker

2011-10-31T00:00:00.003-04:00

Elna Baker’s The New York Regional Mormon Single Halloween Dance: A Memoir is a refreshing look at a Mormon girl’s experiences in New York.

Baker decides to attend New York University to study acting and then become an actress. How can a virgin survive in the big bad city?

Baker is continually caught between her faith in her Mormon religion and between her natural physical desires. When Elna first arrives in New York she is not only a Mormon and a virgin, but she also is quite overweight. She loses eighty pounds and enjoys the sudden attention she gets from men. She enjoys kissing but because of her religious beliefs cannot go further, even when her body tells her otherwise. It especially causes problems when she falls in love with non-Mormons.

What’s interesting about the book is that Elna has a great sense of humor and she’s not afraid of sex, actually her sense of humor is surprisingly raunchy at times! She’s not judgmental of others at all which help a great deal with living in New York.

The only problems with the book? Elna certainly seems to have no money problems (her father apparently was an executive at Boeing and the family lived all over the world), and sometimes, just like any twenty-something, she is quite self-absorbed.

Elna performs one-woman shows in the New York area:

Here is Elna talking about her book:

You can purchase this book by clicking the badge below!

You can read more about Elna Baker here.

Disclosure: This book is part of my personal library.
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It's a Blog Hop!

This week's question is:

Q. If you could have dinner with your favorite book character, who would you eat with and what would you serve?

A. Probably one of my favorite fictional characters is Francie Nolan from A Tree Grows In Brooklyn by Betty Smith. Francie is always hungry in the book (actually half-starved), so any good three course meal would be wonderful for her. I know she'd like an ice-cream soda! (the first boy who asks her out on a date does so at an ice cream parlor).

You can read my review of A Tree Grows In Brooklyn here.

Book Review: The Orchard: A Memoir by Theresa Weir

2011-10-24T00:07:00.000-04:00

The Orchard: A Memoir by Theresa Weir is a poetic remembrance of love, loss, and grief.

When Theresa Weir was 21, she met apple farmer Adrian Curtis. After a whirlwind romance, they were married three months later. Neither of them has any idea of what marriage means. They are too young and hardly know each other.

The farm has been in the family for generations, and Adrian is groomed as the heir apparent, even though it has a reputation as a "cursed" place. Theresa has no idea about what farming is all about, and she is rejected by her new husband’s parents because she is an outsider. She gradually comes to realize that his parents will never really accept her, even after she has two children. Her relationship with Adrian’s mother is particularly bitter. The mother-in-law is a woman whose husband avoids her, and manages to alienate even her grandchildren.

Another enemy is the codling moth. Adrian and his family wage a bitter battle to keep the moth from destroying the apples. The apples are continually sprayed with pesticides to kill the vermin. Throughout the book both Theresa and Adrian are uneasy about the continual use of pesticides. It is the 1970’s, and farmers know that pesticides are not particularly safe.

Will their marriage survive both family crises and the possible destruction of the orchard? Will the apples survive? What price does one pay for using chemicals against nature?

Theresa and Adrian forge a strong relationship based on love and family. Adrian is not particularly close to his mother, either, but he feels strong loyalty to take over the farm from his family. Surprisingly the marriage survives, but what will be the cost of Adrian’s loyalty to his parents?

Through the years of raising children, Theresa does discover a true vocation: writing. She becomes well known for the books published under her own name and that of a pseudonym: Anne Frasier. This gives her great satisfaction and something that she accomplishes on her own.

I found this book haunting and moving. There was a tone of heartbreak throughout, but I had a curiosity to find out what would happen. The book kept building to the inevitably tragic climax.

It was interesting to find out that farmers are not naïve about the use of pesticides, but feel it is their only hope against such destructive enemies such as the codling moth. Adrian acknowledges however, that he would have preferred to use organic methods. But it was too late.

The only thing that puzzles me about the book is the lack of reference to Rachel Carson’s classic treatise against the indiscriminate use pesticides, Silent Spring. Surely Theresa Weir must be aware of that groundbreaking book. Carson’s opus appeared in the early 1960’s, and was strongly responsible for the banning of DDT and was a critical factor in the emergence of the environmental movement. I kept thinking of “Silent Spring” as I read this book.

I am amazed that Theresa Weir is sane after her very difficult childhood, complete with a mother who resented her, and an equally difficult marriage because of the family issues and the struggles of farm life.

Adrian comes across as quite a nice man, but rather weak in his inability to stand up to his mother and make his own life. He pays a high price for that decision.

You can order The Orchard: A Memoir by clicking on the first badge below.

You can order Silent Spring by clicking on the second badge.

Disclosure: I picked up an Advanced Reading Copy of this book at BookExpo America in May.

Book Review: Last Exit In New Jersey by C.E. Grundler

2011-10-20T22:45:00.005-04:00

Last Exit In New Jersey by C.E. Grundler is an intricately plotted thriller that keeps you guessing until the very end. I kept thinking that I knew where the plot was heading – but I didn’t! I was initially intrigued by the settings since I am a Jersey girl and some of the towns and highways are familiar to me. However, it was the plot that drew me in.

Hazel Moran is a tough young woman who knows her way around boats and trucks. The book opens when Hazel and her father are dumping a body from their boat into the water. Hazel’s cousin Micah is also missing, and Hazel is determined to find him – even though there are some very bad people who very clearly do not want her to do so.

The seedy underbelly of New Jersey is something that I really don’t know much about (except by watching The Sopranos), but I certainly learned about it by reading this novel. Part of what makes this book different is the author’s obvious vast knowledge of boats and the denizens of the boating world. It gives the book a distinctive flavor. These are not yachts with millionaire owners, but rather those who use boats in their work – sometimes rather shady work.

The point of view of the novel shifts between several characters, including Hazel, the junk-food addicted and seriously disturbed Hammon, Hammon’s mysterious girlfriend Annabel, and other assorted characters.

I like Hazel because even though she is fearless and brave, she is surprisingly naïve and vulnerable when it comes to men. She just doesn’t like to show it.

My only problem with the book was that it is so long and densely plotted that my interest started flagging about half-way through the book. This might also be because I rarely read thrillers and I rarely read novels with such complex plots. However, after misplacing my Kindle for over a week (while I was totally re-organizing my apartment), I missed the book and was happy to get back to it to find out what happened. The ending is satisfying but will leave you wanting more!

The author is currently writing a sequel, No Wake Zone, that is scheduled to be published in Spring 2012. I can't wait to read it and continue Hazel's adventures.

You can read more about the author here.

You can order this book by clicking on the badge below! The Kindle version is only 99 cents!

Disclosure: This book is part of my personal collection

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It's Friday -- time for Follow My Book Blog Friday, hosted by Parajunkee View and Alison Can Read!

Question: What superhero is your alter-ego?

Answer: I guess my favorite superhero is Wonder Woman! I wish I had her magical powers and I wish I looked like her! She was an early feminist icon, but still gorgeous (of course, she was created by men).

Book Review: Rin Tin Tin by Susan Orlean

2011-10-03T20:00:00.002-04:00

Rin Tin Tin: The Life and the Legend is Susan Orlean’s examination of the fascinating career of the famous German Shepherd of films and TV.

Orlean spent 10 years investigating the story of Rin Tin Tin, and what she found was an incredible story of one man’s love for his dog. Lee Duncan found "Rinty" during WWI on the battlefield of France. He found and rescued a German Shepherd mother and her puppies. He couldn’t feed and care for the whole family so he gave away all but the last two puppies – Nanette, and her brother, Rin Tin Tin, named after popular dolls in France.

Duncan managed to get them back to the U.S, and eventually started to try to find a way for his beloved Rinty at the movie studios. It was easier to crash into movies during the silent era when the movie business was still in its infancy. Rinty became a huge star, and the consequences for both man and dog were unexpected. Rin Tin Tin was world-famous, because silent films were truly international, with no language barrier.

After the first Rin Tin Tin died in the early 1930’s there were several other German Shepherds who “acted” under the Rin Tin Tin name. In the 1950’s, there was a very popular television series, The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin.

Susan Orlean, best known for “The Orchid Thief”, spent many years researching and writing this book. She clearly became deeply personally involved:

Susan Orlean is a fine writer, but there is a major problem in the book. The book concentrates on the life of Lee Duncan, and Duncan simply is not interesting enough to sustain an entire book. I enjoyed the part of the book concerning his discovery of Rinty in France, and also when he was trying g to break his dog into movies. He was a nice man although somewhat eccentric, and he cared far more for his dogs than his wife and child.

One of the other major characters in the book is the producer of the television show, Herbert Leonard, who sounds like an interesting character. I found him more interesting than Duncan. There are other interesting people in this book, too, as fight for control of Rin Tin Tin continues to this day, since Lee Duncan never gave instructions in his will on who should be controlling the dynasty.

I was also disappointed that there are very few photos, and the ones that are included are not very interesting. I definitely think there should have been a section devoted to photographs.

I did find the book interesting, and it did make me look up videos of Rin Tin Tin. I’d heard about him, but had never seen him in anything, since the television show was on before I was born and silent movies are not shown very often and apparently not many of Rinty’s movies still exist.

I do recommend this book if you are interested in dogs, movies, or television.

Please click on the badge below to order this book!

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book at BookExpo America in May.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

2011-09-26T07:52:00.005-04:00

BookJourney holds a weekly meme called It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

I am currently reading Rin Tin Tin: The Life And The Legend, by Susan Orlean.

I plan to review the book this week. Rin Tin Tin is not scheduled to be officially released until tomorrow, September 27, 2011, but I have seen several branches of Barnes & Noble in my area with the plenty of copies of the book on the shelves, already. They have them in the Pets section, but I'm sure that as soon as the book is officially released it will be available at the front of the store with all highly-touted new books, as Susan Orlean is a well known author, and this book is probably going to be a best seller.

Very sneaky, that Barnes & Noble.

Book Review: Following Atticus by Tom Ryan

2011-09-20T00:05:00.007-04:00

Following Atticus: Forty-Eight High Peaks, One Little Dog, And An Extraordinary Friendship by Tom Ryan is one of the most delightful books I have read in a long time.

Atticus M. Finch, partly named after the hero lawyer in To Kill A Mockingbird, is a Miniature Schnauzer who changes Tom Ryan’s world. Tom’s life publishing a muckraking newspaper in Newburyport, Massachusetts is only partly fulfilling. Tom loves his work but is lonely and his life has no real direction. Tom’s mother died when he was seven, and he is not close to his father and eight siblings.

Tom had acquired a Miniature Schnauzer, Max. When Max died, he was determined to get another dog of the same breed. Tom looked at dozens of photos emailed to him from the dog breeder, and he chose Atticus because he was different. Little did he know just how different Atticus would prove to be.

One day Tom and Atticus went hiking with three of Tom’s brothers in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, where they had spent some vacation time as children. Atticus proved to be a natural born mountain climber. When Atticus reaches the top of a mountain, he would sit and gaze at the stunning scenery around him.

The experience was so enjoyable that Tom and Atticus return to the White Mountains on a regular basis. At first, Tom and Atticus start to make a habit of climbing the mountains because they enjoy the tranquility and peacefulness. They also love being together and share a very strong bond, Tom always holding Atticus in his arms after they reach the top of a mountain.

When a friend of Tom’s dies of cancer, however, Tom decides that they will climb all forty-eight of the four-thousand-foot peaks twice – in the winter -- to raise money for cancer.

Tom and Atticus brave blizzards, Lyme disease, and incipient blindness to conquer the mountains. Tom also starts to become closer to his elderly father through his mountain-climbing, something that his father appreciates because of his own love of the mountains.

As word spreads about the mountain climbing dog and the overweight, middle aged newspaperman, Tom and Atticus – especially Atticus – become media stars. When confronted with tragedies and near-tragedies, will Tom and Atticus persevere?

This has immediately become one of my favorite books. I am a sucker for animal stories, and I have read many mountain climbing books. This is my favorite. There were times I was laughing out loud at some of their adventures, and other times when I cried.

Please read Following Atticus! If you like animals, you will love Atticus! It is being published today, September 20, 2011. If you click on the badge below, you can order it immediately.

You can see more about Tom and Atticus by watching this video:

You can also read the Tom and Atticus blog by reading here.

Disclosure: I picked up this book at Book Expo America in May. I couldn’t resist the cover.

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2011 BBAW Daily Topic #1: Community

2011-09-12T19:25:00.005-04:00

Cartoon by Dave Walker. Find more cartoons you can freely re-use on your blog at We Blog Cartoons.

It's Book Blogger Appreciation Week 2011 !

The first topic is:

Community
While the awards are a fun part of BBAW, they can never accurately represent the depth and breadth of diversity in the book blogging community. Today you are encouraged to highlight a couple of bloggers that have made book blogging a unique experience for you. They can be your mentors, a blogger that encouraged you to try a different kind of book, opened your eyes to a new issue, made you laugh when you needed it, or left the first comment you ever got on your blog. Stay positive and give back to the people who make the community work for you!

I really love the blogging community. I have learned so much while blogging. I started my first real blog, New Jersey Memories, in 2009. I decided to review some New Jersey-related books. I started longing for a place to review more books, and that is when I started The Literary Lioness.

It never even occurred to me that I would receive free books from authors within a month of starting this blog! I wasn't thinking about free books at all. I just wanted to write about books and writing (I am also a writer by profession). I had no idea that there were so many book blogs out there. Perhaps if I had known, I would have been too scared to start one. I started participating in memes and blog hops, and read other books blogs that were far superior to my own. I had a lot to learn.

I have only had good experiences in dealing with other book bloggers. I was afraid that they would see me at competition. Other bloggers are great. They have been so kind to me.

If it wasn't for this blog, I would never have gone to BookExpo America and The Book Bloggers Convention in May. Granted, I was totally intimidated and overwhelmed when I was there. My shyness -- a problem I thought I had beaten -- was back in full force. However, I really tried to get to know the other book bloggers when I was there and next year I will know what I am doing!

Friday Book Blog Hops 09/09/11!

2011-09-08T21:25:00.010-04:00

It's Friday and time for some book blog hops! Jennifer at Crazy-for-Books is hosting a Book Blog Party!

This week's question is:

Q: Many of us primarily read one genre of books, with others sprinkled in. If authors stopped writing that genre, what genre would you start reading? Or would you give up reading completely if you couldn’t read that genre anymore?

A: I mostly read non fiction and I would miss it if I couldn't read it anymore. However, I would just read more novels if they stopped publishing non-fiction.

Many of us primarily read one genre of books, with others sprinkled in. If authors stopped writing that genre, what genre would you start reading? Or would you give up reading completely if you couldn’t read that genre anymore?”

Parajunkee's View and Alison Can Read are also having a blog hop!

This week's question is:

Q. Have you ever wanted a villain to win at the end of a story? If so, which one?

A: No, I haven't, although I have wanted some flawed heroes to win at the end!

Book Review: Reluctant Hero by Michael Benfante

2011-09-03T18:04:00.014-04:00

On September 11, 2011 Michael Benfante reported to his job as a manager at a telecommunications firm on the 81st floor of the World Trade Center. When the planes crashed into the building, Benfante and his co-workers started working their way down the stairs. When they reached the 68th floor Benfante and one of his co-workers encountered a woman in a wheelchair. There were female co-workers staying with her but it was impossible for them to carry her down 68 floors. Benfante and his co-worker carried the woman down to the bottom and out of the building.

He talks about it here:

Reluctant Hero: A 9/11 Survivor Speaks Out About That Unthinkable Day, What He's Learned, How He's Struggled, and What No One Should Ever Forget is Benfante’s account of not only what happened to him on that tragic day, but what happened to him in the ten years since September 11th, 2001.

Benfante became a celebrity for his actions on September 11th; he was showered with awards, feted on the Oprah Winfrey Show, and mentioned in a speech by the President of the United States. Almost one year to the day Benfante got married with the woman in the wheelchair as a guest at his wedding.

But while all this was going on, Benfante was grappling with Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. He refused to go get therapy and kept his feelings inside. He resorted to alcohol other ways to keep his demons at bay.

Benfante has written this book as a kind of catharsis to finally come to grips with what happened on that day. The book is touching and he is unflinching as he admits that he hasn’t always handled things very well.

This book is gripping. I really felt as if I was on the journey with him down the stairs of the World Trade Center. I was shocked when I realized that even after they got out of the building, he was almost killed by the tower collapsing.

If you live in New Jersey, Michael Benfante will be signing copies of this book on Thursday, September 8th, at 7 PM at Watchung Booksellers (one of my favorite indie booksellers) in Upper Montclair, New Jersey. You can read about it here. You can also buy a copy by clicking on the Amazon badge below.

You can read more Michael Benfante on my New Jersey blog: New Jersey Memories.

Disclosure: I received this book at Book Expo America in May.

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Join Book Review Party Wednesday at Cym Lowell!

Wordless Wednesday: Borders Books

2011-08-17T00:03:00.008-04:00

The first three photos of this post are from Borders Books at Rockaway Mall in New Jersey, and the last two are from Lycoming Mall in Pennsylvania.

For more Wordless Wednesday, click here.

Book Review: The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin

2011-07-27T00:07:00.002-04:00

The Happiness Project: Or, Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun
Gretchen Rubin realized that despite having a seemingly “perfect” life she was not as happy as she should be. Blessed with a kind and loving husband, two beautiful daughters ages 7 and 1, and a law degree, she knew that she appeared to have it all but was discontented. She had left the law for working full time as a writer because she loved to write, but started wondering why she wasn’t happier.

I had everything I could possibly want –yet I was failing to appreciate it. Bogged down in petty complaints and passing crises, weary of struggling with my own nature, I too often failed to comprehend the splendor of what I had.
She also realized that “I wasn’t as happy as I could be, and my life wasn’t going to change unless I made it change.”

So Rubin started “The Happiness Project”, because she was trying to find a way to make herself happier and find out what is important to her. She not only wanted to make herself happier, but those around her as well.

She de-cluttered her closets, ate better and exercised more, slept more, tried to stop nagging her husband and children, and decided to not only be a better friend, but to keep making new friends. She drew up charts, and came up with her own solutions to her problems (including The Four Splendid Truths), and shared these solutions on her blog. She sang in the mornings and collected bluebird figurines.

She also tried not to always expect others to appreciate her efforts, because she always expects "gold stars". This was one of the hardest things for her to do.

Many of her ideas are quite sensible. Having a clean, orderly environment is essential. Helping others and being a good friend are clearly important to true happiness. She realized "one of the best ways to make yourself happy is to make other people happy."

Then we got to a sticky subject:

One of her solutions was about using money wisely. She says: “Prosperity allows us to turn our attention to more transcendent matters-to yearn for lives not just of material comfort but of meaning, balance, and joy.”

This is where I stopped. Something had been bothering me. I noticed that in her author credits she never mentioned where she went to college, and she is strangely silent on what her husband and father-in-law do for a living. I also wondered when she said that her daughter would have lunch with her father-in-law in his office. I realized that he must have a pretty important job.

Gretchen also seems to have a lot of free time on her hands. She seems to wander around Manhattan without the children, and she seems to go on an endless round of cocktail parties, book clubs, and mysterious “meetings.” I had a feeling that she was pretty privileged. She had clerked for Sandra Day O'Connor so it was obvious that she had gone to a top law school. "Yale" popped into my head. I was convinced that she had gone to Yale Law School! (I don't know how I knew it was Yale and not Harvard or Stanford).

So I Googled her name and found sure enough, Gretchen graduated from Yale Law School! Her husband is a big time hedge fund manager and her father-in-law is Robert Rubin, former Treasury Secretary, big honcho at Goldman Sachs and former director of Citigroup. He’s worth over $100 million.

It must be nice never to have to worry about money. That would make me happy, too.

However, even the extremely privileged have their problems. Her husband suffers from Hepatitis C, a potentially fatal disease that attacks the liver. Eventually, he will need a kidney transplant. He has participated in clinical trials for new drugs, but nothing seems to work.

So Rubin has also become involved in boosting the number of organ donations. She realized that helping others leads to happiness, too.

Rubin is clearly sincere about helping others find happiness. In the following video she explains why she started the project. (Strangely, I saw Bethanne Patrick, the interviewer in the video, speaking at the Book Bloggers Convention in New York in May! I found this video and recognized her!)

Her blog has inspired many others to start their own happiness projects.

You can read her blog here.

You can read a somewhat snarky New York Times article about Rubin here.

You can also buy her book by clicking on the badge below:

Disclosure: This book is part of my personal collection.
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It's Book Review Party Wednesday!

Every week Cym Lowell hosts a Book Review Party! Click on the badge to add your review!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? and Bargain Book Bonanza!

2011-07-25T17:10:00.019-04:00

If you check my Kindle I am currently reading Last Exit In New Jersey by C.E. Grundler. I am also constantly checking out The Productive Writer by Sage Cohen, and Ready, Aim, Specialize! by Kelly James-Enger.

If you look carefully at The Kindle photo above, you will see three books with "New" next to them! This brings me to:

For the Bargain Book Bonanza this week I will tell you that Amazon is having a Kindle Book Sale! The Geography of Bliss was $1.99, The Boys of My Youth was $1.99, and Write Good or Die was free! And I just pre-ordered The Man Who Left Too Soon: The Life and Works of Stieg Larsson for 99 cents! It will be delivered to my Kindle on September 1st!

You can find Big Deal products by clicking here. Hurry, it ends Wednesday, July 27th, 2011!

Please click on the badges below to buy one of these books listed in this post:

Friday Book Blog Hops July 22!

2011-07-22T12:18:00.016-04:00

It's Friday and time for some book blog hops!

Every week Jennifer at Crazy for Books has a blog hop for book bloggers!

This week's question is:

Q: What’s the ONE GENRE that you wish you could get into, but just can’t?

A. I just can't get into science fiction. It may be because I'm simply not that interested in science, but if I do read about science, I prefer science FACT.

At Parajunkee's View, it is Feature & Follow Friday.

This week's question:

Q. Name 3 authors that you would love to sit down and spend an hour or a meal with just talking about either their books or get advice on writing from?

A: I really thought about this. There are some "mysterious" authors I'd like to know more about, such as Tom Pynchon. Who is he? The only problem is that I haven't read any of his books! J.K. Rowling comes to mind, because I love the story of how she wrote much of the first Harry Potter book in a local coffee shop. I love to write in coffee shops and also in mall food courts BEFORE the mall opens!

I would really like to talk to some DEAD authors, too. Jane Austen and all of the Brontes! J. D. Salinger! Ernest Hemingway and Sylvia Plath! I wish there had been better medications for depression when Ernest and Sylvia were alive. So sad . . . and then there's John Keats and the other tragic English romantics . . . gosh, the list is endless!

Another blog hop is held by G Reads:

This week's question:

Q: Bookshelf Tour: Where do you keep your books at home? Are they organized?

A. My books used to be organized! When I was little, my room wasn't that neat, but all my children's books was arranged on my big bookcase in alphabetical order by the author's last name!

My books are in a state of chaos right now! I live in a very small place (two rooms). I bought some Billy Bookshelves at Ikea. Here is one.

Right now I have some books in a storage facility, some on bookshelves, and others scattered around the bedroom, bathroom, and living room (and I'm not going to post photos of that mess!) I am giving some away to charity (if I haven't read them in ten years I'm never going to read them!). But most importantly, I bought a Kindle a few months ago and have them on there. It get hold over 3,000 books! The only books I really need to keep in book form are my beloved decorating and design coffee-table books!

Here is my Kindle with my nice padded cover:

And here is the partial list on my Kindle:

Borders Books 1971-2011 R.I.P.

2011-07-19T23:13:00.012-04:00

It's a sad day for booklovers -- Borders Books will be closing all their stores. Sigh.

I had wonderful times in the Borders Store, in Wayne, NJ (above photo). That store closed several years ago when Wayne Towne Center mall was partially demolished. I spent many happy hours reading books, buying books, and choosing opera CDs for Christmas gifts for my relatives. Even though it was a chain, that store was very "homey". I remember swing music playing and people dancing in the aisles. I have really missed that store.

Of course, thousands of people across the country will lose their jobs, during one of the worst recessions ever.

You will be missed, Borders.

Lamenting Borders' Death at 'Store No. 1'

Borders to close all 399 bookstores, sending book-lovers reeling

There is an excellent post about this on Shawn James blog.

Book Review: Bobblehead Dad by Jim Higley

2011-07-03T17:03:00.014-04:00

When Jim Higley received the news that he had cancer, he realized that he had to take a whole summer off to recuperate. Receiving the diagnosis was frightening, especially since he had already lost his mother, father, and a brother to the disease.

While he was recuperating, mostly lying by the family pool, Higley realized that instead of an ending, this could be a new beginning for him. He realized that he was not quite satisfied with his life, and that he needed to do something about it. His life had been consumed with his job, and he wasn't spending enough time with his children. This was a turning point, and he knew it.

Bobblehead Dad: 25 Life Lessons I Forgot I Knew is NOT a depressing study of cancer, but Higley's journey to finding a better life for himself and his children. Each chapter details about a life lesson that he learned during this journey. He learned a lot about himself during this stage, and in this delightful and easy-to-read book he set out to find the path to true happiness.

Why is this book called Bobblehead Dad? Because Higley realized that just like those toys, he would put on a smiling face and bobble his head throughout his busy days. His kids would be talking to him but he wouldn't be really listening to them. He would just nod his head and pretend to be listening. He realized that life was passing him by and his children were growing up, and that he needed to be there for them.

Higley realized that he needed to give up his job and be at home with his children. He has become a full-time freelance writer, and has found out what has made life worth living. His work is giving him great satisfaction, and he is becoming the dad he always wanted to be.

You can read more about Jim here.

You can purchase this book by clicking on the badge below.

I received this book from the author at The Book Bloggers Convention.

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It's time for the Friday book blog hops!

Every week, Jennifer at Crazy-for-Books had a Book blog hops PARTY!

This week's question involves promoting a giveaway on another blog. Musings of a Bookshop Girl is having a big giveaway. You can read about it here.

Parajunkee's View also has a Friday book hop:

Have a great weekend!