Book News and Reviews

John Grisham Books

2008-01-30T21:03:00.001-05:00

The following is a list of John Grisham books in chronological order.

A Time to Kill (1989)
The Firm (1991)
The Pelican Brief (1992)
The Client (1993)
The Chamber (1994)
The Rainmaker (1995)
The Runaway Jury (1996)
The Partner (1997)
The Street Lawyer (1998)
The Testament (1999)
The Testament (2000)
A Painted House (2001)
Skipping Christmas (2002)
The Summons (2002)
Bleachers (2003)
The King of Torts (2003)
The Last Juror (2004)
The Broker (2005)
The Innocent Man (2006)
Playing For Pizza: A Novel (2007)
The Appeal (2008)

Almost Dead by Lisa Jackson

2007-12-10T19:48:00.001-05:00

Almost Dead by Lisa Jackson

From the back cover:
Cissy Cahill's world is unraveling fast. One by one, members of her family are dying. Cissy's certain she's being watched. Or is she losing her mind? Lately she's heard footsteps when there's no one around, smelled a woman's perfume, and noticed small, personal items missing from her house. Cissy's right to be afraid--but not for the reason she thinks. The truth is much more terrifying...

I just finished not finishing this book. Let me say it this way: it took me six weeks to read up to the halfway point in the book and it took me less than five minutes to skim the rest of the book and not miss anything that happened.

The storyline was bad and the characters were worse. The story would have been a great one if it were told with some imagination. But instead, the author used amateur tricks to wrap up the story. Instead of keeping the reader on the edge of their seats with a creative and suspenseful plot, we are lied to because the villain gives her sidekick a nickname that is also the name of one of the main characters. LAME! And who the killer turns out to be is also a cop-out to creatively coming up with a great storyline because it's not believable. I hate a good story with a cop-out ending. And the characters are annoying and also not believable. I could care less about any of them. The main character Cissy, was so stupid and whiny that I wished the murderer would hurry up and off her. But she suffers on through most of the book.

I almost never quit a book in the middle. It has to be really bad for me to not read it to the end. Oh yeah, did I mention the repetition? The author repeats herself over and over again. Did this book have an editor? Also, much of this book reads like a romance novel, which I find intolerable. This was (almost) my first and definitely my last Lisa Jackson book.

Laura's Rating: 2/5

Did you read this book and you agree with my review? Or did you love it and you think I'm nuts? Tell me about it in the comments!

Later this week I'll be posting a "good" book review. Stay tuned.

Best Books of 2007?

2007-12-09T00:13:00.001-05:00

The New York Times has published a list of the ten best books in 2007. The first five are fiction and the last five are non-fiction. I don't know who wrote the article or who got to determine which books were this year's best, but if you can recommend any from this list, let me know in the comments! The fiction books look more interesting to me, but still...were any of these on Border's recommended reading lists? Or Oprah's? Hah, I'm kidding. Kind of.

Here's the list:

Man Gone Down by Michael Thomas
Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson
The Savage Detectives by Roberto Bolano
Then We Came to the End by Joshua Ferris
Tree of Smoke by Denis Johnson
Imperial Life in the Emerald City: Inside Iraq's Green Zone by Rajiv Chandrasekaran
Little Heathens: Hard Times and High Spirits on an Iowa Farm During the Great Depression by Mildred Armstrong Kalish
The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court by Jeffery Toobin
The Ordeal of Elizabeth Marsh: A Woman in World History by Linda Colley
The Rest is Noise: Listening to the Twentieth Century by Alex Ross

Link

J.K. Rowling is Named Entertainer of the Year

2007-11-24T10:08:00.001-05:00

Entertainment Weekly magazine has named J.K. Rowling entertainer of the year. Rowling published the final book in her Harry Potter series this past July. Here's what the magazine had to say:

So we'll keep it simple: J.K. Rowling is our Entertainer of the Year because she did something very, very hard, and she did it very, very well, thus pleasing hundreds of millions of children and adults very, very much. In an era of videogame consoles, online multiplayer ''environments,'' and tinier-is-better mobisodes, minisodes, and webisodes, she got people to tote around her big, fat old-fashioned printed-on-paper books as if they were the hottest new entertainment devices on the planet.

Who could argue with that? There is no doubt that she has entertained us, not only this year but for many years with her books and movies. I can't think of another person who deserves the title more than Rowling does. Congratulations JoJo!
Link

Oprah's Book Club Pick: The Pillars of the Earth

2007-11-20T14:38:00.001-05:00

Last week, Oprah Winfrey picked Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth as her latest book club pick. The Pillars of the Earth is a 973 page novel that is set in 12th century England. It was first released in 1989 and still sells 100,000 paperback copies per year in the United States alone. To read more about this book visit Ken-Follett.com.

This book sounds really interesting. I'm going to add it to my reading list. I've read other books that Oprah has recommended and haven't been disappointed yet.

Harry Potter Lexicon Delayed by Publisher

2007-11-15T22:05:00.001-05:00

Harry Potter Lexicon is a website that was formally supported by J.K. Rowling, but not anymore. HP-Lexicon.org decided to publish a book based on the websites contents to the effect of a Harry Potter encyclopedia. Ms. Rowling also has similar plans to publish a HP encyclopedia of her own. So she filed a lawsuit to block the publication of the book on October 31st. The publishers of RDR Books has agreed to delay the book's publication, which was set to be released on November 28th, until it is determined if the book is in violation of J.K. Rowling's intellectual property rights, or the copyrights on her books which are held by Warner Bros.

J.K. Rowling has issued the following statement on her website concerning the lawsuit:

I take no pleasure in the fact that publication has been prevented for the present. On the contrary, I feel massively disappointed that this matter had to come to court at all. Despite repeated requests, the publishers have refused to even countenance making any changes to the book to ensure that it does not infringe my rights.

Unless their position changes, we will all return to court next year. Given my past good relations with the Lexicon fansite, I can only feel sad and disillusioned that this is where we have ended up.

Who's edition would you rather read?

The Best Children's Illustrated Books of 2007

2007-11-10T13:53:00.001-05:00

One of the things I love about children's books is looking at the illustrations. Some books just have pictures or drawings or nothing fancy. But other books are worth having just for the artwork. The New York Times honors these artists with a slideshow of these works along with some book information. View the slideshow.

Don't Publish Your Book with Regnery!

2007-11-09T20:07:00.001-05:00

Five authors are suing Regnery Publishers for running a scheme that deprives them of their profits. Regnery Publishing is a Washington imprint of conservative books and are owned by Eagle Publishing.

In the lawsuit the authors say that Eagle sells or gives away copies of their books to book clubs, newsletters and other organizations owned by Eagle “to avoid or substantially reduce royalty payments to authors.”

The authors argue that in reducing royalty payments, the publisher is maximizing its profits and the profits of its parent company at their expense.

“They’ve structured their business essentially as a scam and are defrauding their writers,” Mr. Miniter said in an interview, “causing a tremendous rift inside the conservative community.”

Source

I'm glad to see that the authors are not sitting back and taking it from their publisher. There are too many corporations out there that use subsidiaries of their business to conduct shady business dealings. I hope they get their money and the publisher gets hit hard in the financial aspect.

Britney's Mom is Writing a Parenting Book

2007-11-09T18:58:00.001-05:00

Britney Spears' mommy Lynne is writing a parenting book. It is going to be called Pop Culture Mom: A Real Story of Fame and Family in a Tabloid World. It is being published by Thomas Nelson, a Christian publisher and has a . The book is due to be out next Mother's Day.

“It’s a parenting book that’s going to have faith elements to it. I don’t think it’s totally been written yet,” says the publisher’s rep, who expects the manuscript by December.

What do you think, will this book be worth reading? Yes, she's Britney's mom but she is also Jamie Lynn's mom. Her life must be filled with all the good and bad that Hollywood has to offer the parents of child stars. And she's going to need all the faith she can muster where Britney is concerned. I wish her the best but I'm not sure I'll be reading her book.

Stephen King's Literary World

2007-11-08T14:45:00.001-05:00

In honor of the fact that I'm only several pages from finishing Stephen King's Lisey's Story (look for my review next week), this post is about what's happening in King's literary world.

If you haven't bought a copy of Blaze by Richard Bachman (Stephen King's pseudonym), then go buy one because the proceeds go to The Haven Foundation. It's nearly Christmas so buy an extra copy for your SK loving friend.
Stephen King's next novel is called Duma Key and it's coming out on January 22, 2008.
Steven King's Dark Tower Marvel Comic Books came out yesterday.
The movie based on Stephen King's The Mist comes to theaters on November 21, 2007.
Did you know that Stephen King writes a column for EW.com?

Another School Wants to Ban Books

2007-11-07T17:48:00.001-05:00

When will people understand that banning books only turns them into classics? Seriously, what are parents and school officials so afraid of when it comes to what our children are reading? The most recent offense comes from two of Pat Conroy's books, Beach Music and The Prince of Tides. I've read both of these books and they are very well written and captivating stories. The offending content includes the topics of violence, suicide and sexual assault.

If your child or student is even interested in reading Conroy, they are most likely in High School. What high school aged child has not already encountered these same subjects before? They can read about these very happenings in the newspaper on any given day.

This atrocity is happening in Charleston West Virgina, and now a student group is planning to sue the Kanawha County Board of Education. Finally, a worthwhile lawsuit!

Source

Playing For Pizza

2007-10-30T21:45:00.001-04:00

I really want to read this book. I love John Grisham's writing, American football is my favorite sport to watch on TV, and the story is set in Italy. It doesn't get much better than that!

The story is about Rick Dockery, a football player for the Cleveland Browns. After throwing three interceptions in the closing minutes of the AFC championship game, Rick can only find a pro team to play on by joining the Parma Panthers, from the Italian National Football League. And he's the new quarterback no less. And it's also about Rick in Italy.

If you're a Grisham fan, you'll want to see his mini interview on Amazon where he answers the following questions:

American football in Italy seems like an unlikely subject for a John Grisham novel. What was the inspiration for Playing for Pizza?

There is some great football writing in this novel. What kind of research was involved in capturing how this American institution is played in small town Italy?

Speaking of research, you write lovingly of Italian food and wine in this book. What's your idea of the perfect Italian meal?

Without giving away too much of the plot, your protagonist falls in love by the novel's end. Did you know when you started writing that Rick would get the girl?

You have a new legal thriller coming in January 2008. Can you give us any hints about what to expect?

Trump's Think Big and Kick Ass

2007-10-27T16:10:00.001-04:00

I never read a book by Donald Trump. I never wanted to. But this one is different. This one looks like it might be interesting if not helpful. It's co-written by Bill Zanker who tells the story how he started The Learning Annex with $5,000 and turned it into a $5 million per year company.

But that's not why I think it will be interesting. It's because it's filled with advice and inspiration, such as:

Momentum: the Big Mo. How to get it and how to get it back.

Revenge: how and when to get it (and why it's so sweet).

"I love you, now sign this!" Why contracts in business and personal life are so important.

Real-life stories from people who've applied the think BIG formula in their own lives.

Don't you think it's really sweet of Donald to put aside his busy schedule to read and review Rosie O'Donnel's book Celebrity Detox? They really need to just have sex and get it over with. eww!

And check out this video where Trump reveals the secrets of success that he learned from his father:

Watch Donald Trump introduce Think Big and Kick Ass.

Harry Potter Books Banned from MA Catholic School

2007-10-25T15:01:00.001-04:00

Reverend Ron Barker removed all of the Harry Potter books from St. Joseph's Catholic School in Wakefield Massachusetts.

"This is a parochial school and I have the moral authority to do this," he said in an interview with FOXNews.com. "For some people, reading those books is a vehicle to become involved in the occult. ... My basic premise is for the spiritual protection of the children."

Some of the parents complained and petitioned Barker in a letter to put the Harry Potter books back in the school's library. From the letter:

"We must allow our children the space to discover how to make correct moral choices on their own," the parents wrote. "While we recognize that some fear that Harry Potter books may lead to the practice of Wicca and Satanism, we respectfully disagree that such fears warrant the removal of reading material from the school library."

Barker responded with these words:

"I’m not preventing people from buying the books," Barker said. "I’m not marching down to the public library demanding that they burn the books. I'm protecting from what could be a danger to some people. Evil is very seductive."... "If there's a possibility for one getting involved, it's good to protect that one," he said.

Source

So why did Reverend Barker wait until the series was complete before he decided that the influence of sorcery and witchcraft was too evil to be allowed in the Catholic school library? Obviously the announcement from J.K. Rowling that Dumbledore was gay had more to do with it then sorcery. But I guess it's safer to blame the witchcraft element than to admit to being a homophobic.

Alice Sebold's New Book: The Almost Moon

2007-10-19T23:08:00.001-04:00

I have to read this book! I read both Lucky and The Lovely Bones and they were wonderfully tragic books. And from the description of The Almost Moon, we can expect some more of that with this book too.
Alice Sebold tells us herself what the book is about in this letter:

"I hope you'll like The Almost Moon. I also hope it produces that feeling of discomfort. It's about Helen Knightly who is a mother, a daughter, a lover, and—beginning the night you meet her—a woman who has killed her mother. Obviously I want you to follow her into all the dark places she's going because I believe it's in those dark places where we often see most clearly the truth about how to live or how not to." [Read the whole letter]

The Kite Runner: the Book, the Movie

2007-10-19T00:21:00.001-04:00

Khaled Hosseini, author of The Kite Runner, commends the delayed release of the movie that is based on the book. It was delayed for six weeks so that Paramount Pictures can move three of the boys who star in the film and their families from socially conservative Afghanistan where they fear that the boys would be targeted due to a scene in the movie. In this scene one boy becomes a victim of a homosexual rape and his best friend witnesses it but does nothing to stop it.

I read The Kite Runner a couple of years ago and it is written in such a captivating and engrossing manner that makes you feel a part of the story in such a way that when it ends, it continues in your heart for a long time to come.

The movie is expected to debut on December 14th.

Eric Clapton Writes a Memoir

2007-10-17T01:04:00.001-04:00

If you are a fan of Eric Clapton's you're sure to love his book titled Clapton: The Autobiography. The rocker, who has managed to keep his private life, well...private, has decided to bar none and bare it all in this memoir. He covers his own intimate life experiences such as drug and alcohol addiction, an affair with Patty Boyd and the death of his four-year-old son. His music was his salvation. Readers rated this book 5 out of 5 stars.

What The Dickens: Gregory Maguire's New Children's Book

2007-10-12T22:36:00.001-04:00

Gregory Maguire, author of Wicked, has written a children's book called What The Dickens. What The Dickens is the name of a tooth fairy who came to life in a tin can and discovers he has an affinity for teeth!

Watch an interview video with Gregory Maguire where he talks about this book and his return to writing children's books. Plus there are a lot of other video interviews with him on this page as well.

Second Most Valuable Comic Found in PA Attic

2007-10-11T22:30:00.001-04:00

The comic book, which features Batman's debut, is a pre-WWII Detective Comics No. 27. It is worth about $250,000. It was in near-mint condition when it was found in an attic in Pennsylvania and sold to Todd McDevitt, owner of the Pittsburgh region's five New Dimension Comics stores.

When the seller walked in with the Batman issue, "my eyes almost popped out of my head," McDevitt said. I guess I should have been more reserved, but I'm not a very good poker player," he said. Experts estimate there are between 20 and a few hundred copies of the Batman debut. McDevitt's comic now sits safely in an airtight bag in a bank vault. On occasion, he takes it out to show friends and customers. "I've been toying with the idea of reading it, but I haven't yet," he said. "I'm going to savor it."

Source: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,300650,00.html

Oprah's Book Club Pick

2007-10-10T23:27:00.001-04:00

Oprah's Book Club pick is Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It is a romantic love story about Florentino Ariza and Fermino Daza, who fall in love. But Fermino marries someone else and Florentino, an incurable romantic, who waits a lifetime for her.

This sounds like a really good story. I think I'm going to have to read this one.

Jenna Bush Starts Book Tour

2007-10-08T23:35:00.001-04:00

Jenna Bush's book, Ana's Story, is about a 17 year old single mother in Panama who is H.I.V. positive. Ms. Bush met Ana while she was in Panama as a Unicef intern. The book tour will cover 25 cities across the United States and it's first run will be 500,000 copies. The book is approximately 300 pages long.

Steven King's Dark Tower Marvel Comic Books

2007-10-06T23:33:00.001-04:00

As you may already know, Stephen King's Dark Tower series is being made into Marvel comic books. They started with the first prequel miniseries, The Gunslinger Born, came out in periodicals last February. It sold over 100,000 copies and the hardback collection is being released for sale on November 7, 2007. The second miniseries, The Long Road Home, is scheduled to begin next February 2008. The Gunslinger Born is by Robin Furth, Peter David, and Jae Lee and they are expected to also collaborate with the remaining series as well.

I would think The Gunslinger Born - The Complete Comic Collectionis a must-have for any Stephen King fan or collector's enthusiast.

Goldman Family Talk to Oprah About Publishing 'If I Did It'

2007-09-17T11:06:00.001-04:00

If you remember, I wrote a post awhile ago about the Goldman's decision to publish O.J.'s If I Did It book. Well, Fred Goldman, the father of victim Ron Goldman, and his daughter Kim appeared on The Oprah Winfrey show to explain why they have decided to publish this controversial book. It looks like my theory was right in that they were preventing O.J. from any earnings while at the same time satisfying part of the settlement they won. Denise Brown isn't happy about it and wouldn't appear on Oprah with the Goldman's. That's understandable since she won't be getting any of the money from the book either. But Oprah herself says she won't buy the book because it's 'blood money'. I think she needs to lighten up because it's not blood money when its okay with the victims family. Why isn't the Brown family getting anything from the sales of the book since they also sued O.J. in a wrongful death suit? I guess the Goldman's beat them to it.

Here's a picture of the new cover:

Maureen McCormick Writes a Book

2007-09-17T10:39:00.001-04:00

Maureen McCormick, the actress who played Marcia on The Brady Bunch, has written a memoir called Here's the Story. It will be published by HarperEntertainment in 2008. Maureen's book will be about growing up as a child actress and her struggles with eating disorders, drug addiction and depression. You can read the whole article at The Book Standard.

As a person who grew up watch The Brady Bunch re-runs in the '70's, I am most interested in reading this book and I'm looking forward to it. I never knew she had so many demons but it's so common with child actors, it seems. Hopefully her story has a happy ending for her.

O.J. Simpson's 'If I Did It' Will Be Published After All

2007-08-14T21:17:00.001-04:00

You might recall that awhile back, O.J. Simpson was set to publish his book called 'If I Did It', but the Goldman family went to court to have the publication and sale of this book stopped. The courts gave all rights to the book to the Goldman family. This was a brilliant move on their part because O.J. owes them a lot of money from the $38 million wrongful death law suit that they won but O.J. couldn't afford to pay. So now the Goldman's can publish and sell the book and receive all the money it brings in. And O.J. will get none.

[Read the article...]