Ninety Days by Bill Clegg
This book was a non fiction memoir in which the author continues his story of his battles against addiction.The book was very well written and wasnt boring but I wish I would have read his first book before I read this one but it was an ok read and I would recomend it.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
The Hunt for KSM
The Hunt for KSM: Inside the pursuit and takedown of the real 9/11 mastermind, Khaleid Sheikh Mohammed by Terry McDermott and John Meyer
This book was a non fiction book it was informative but written in a very bland and boring tone I thought. I did not enjoy reading this book because of the tone I just mentioned, I found myself uninterested. I think some people though who are really diehard non fiction fans my enjoy reading this. It is worth a read to see someones views on this event (but also it makes the book somewhat biased) but I would not recomend this book.
This book was a non fiction book it was informative but written in a very bland and boring tone I thought. I did not enjoy reading this book because of the tone I just mentioned, I found myself uninterested. I think some people though who are really diehard non fiction fans my enjoy reading this. It is worth a read to see someones views on this event (but also it makes the book somewhat biased) but I would not recomend this book.
Friday, April 13, 2012
Lucy in the sky
Title: Lucy in the sky
Author: John Vorhaus
Narator: John Vorhaus
Publisher/date: Spoken Word/11/1/11
Length: 3hrs and 36 mins
Audiobook Description: (form Spoken Word Inc)
Then, propitiously on the Summer Solstice, his life is turned upside down by the arrival of his lively, lovely, long-lost cousin Lucy. She’s hip beyond Gene’s wildest dreams and immediately takes him under her wing. Lucy teaches Gene that being a hippie isn’t about love beads and peace signs, but about making a choice and taking a stand. Yet for all her airy insights into religion, philosophy and “the isness of it all,” Lucy harbors dark secrets – secrets that will soon put her on the run, with Gene by her side.
Author guest blog post:
I would like to thank the author for providing a blog post for me that consists of the post, and press release
My new novel, LUCY IN THE SKY, is a coming-of-age story set in Milwaukee in 1969, and the writing of it presented some challenges that none of my other books (light mystery and non-fiction) ever did. For one thing, I’m working in a new genre, something I call “voice fiction,” by which I mean, simply, writing with something to say. In order to accomplish my goal of having something to say, though, I had to be prepared to confront an issue that many authors struggle with: the matter of telling other people what to think. Philosophically, I have no problem with this. As a longtime teacher of writers, I have consistently taught that, in a fundamental sense, writers are there to explain things to readers. Basically, that’s our job. So this notion of “telling other people what to think” is an implicit part of the package you accept when you first put fingers to keys.
That said, there’s still an emotional risk in telling my readers, “Hey, you know what? Being a hippie isn’t about love beads and peace signs. It’s about the choices you make and the stands you take. That’s what’s important, and that’s what you should pay attention to.” So that’s me taking a stand, and I can’t help feeling nervous that someone, somewhere, will say, “Where they heck do you get off telling me what to think, what to do? Who gave you that right?” Well, I gave me that right – responsibility, really – when I became a writer. Still it makes me edgy. At such times I remind myself that part of what a writer must do is just “throw it out the window and watch to see if it lands.” So I throw and I watch. and I hope to be understood.
Another issue with Lucy is that it’s an emotional memoir. I was not a hippie, but I always wanted to be one, and much of what goes on in this book involves me channeling of a set of experiences and insights that I wished I’d had at that age in that time. I know that every book I write is at least partly autobiographical, and therefore a challenge to my self-acceptance, but this one took that idea and turned it on its head, for in Lucy, I’m not talking about myself but about a fantasy, idealized version of myself. At times during the writing I couldn’t tell whether I was engaged in storytelling or just wishful thinking. (Well, that’s why God invented editors.)
My third issue is my market. Lucy in the Sky is a coming-of-age story, no doubt. As such, it should appeal to young adult readers and adult fans of YA material. And I think it really does. At the same time, though, it’s about the 1960s, about hippies and, in a certain sense, about innocence lost a long time ago. It should, then, also appeal to people like me: people who were hippies or near-hippies and who wish to be in touch with those times and those feelings again. At the end of the day I claim that the book is “a sixties trip for young seekers and old geezers alike,” but I do worry that, from a promotional point of view, that puts me sort of neither here nor there.
How do I resolve all these conflicts? By talking about them and writing about them and posting them in places like this place here (and thanks and all hail to Autumn for letting me drop in). I don’t imagine that this post will sort out all my issues. When I’m done writing this guest blog, I’ll still have insecurity about taking responsibility for my vision, telling the truth of my experience, and selling that truth to an uncertainly defined audience. Yet I’ll feel better for having written (I always feel better for having written), and I hope you’ll have a little better insight into what goes through the mind of a writer when he crafts and sells his precious gift – his gift of words on the page.
Winston Churchill said, “Writing a book is an adventure. To begin with, it is a toy and an amusement; then it becomes a mistress, and then it becomes a master, and then a tyrant. The last phase is that just as you are about to be reconciled to your servitude, you kill the monster, and fling him out to the public.” So this is me, flinging Lucy to the public. You can sample her, and purchase her in print, ebook and author-narrated audio, at www.tinyurl.com/Lucy1969. If you’d like to know more about me and my other works, please visit www.johnvorhaus.com, or follow me on Twitter @TrueFactBarFact. Thanks for letting me drop by. Best, -jv
LUCY IN THE SKY TAKES READERS ON A REAL’60s TRIP
Gene Steen is an earnest, intelligent, truth-seeking teen stuck in a suburban cultural wasteland. He wants to be a hippie in the worst way, but hippies are scarce on the ground in the forlorn Midwest of Gene’s 15th year. Then, propitiously on the Summer Solstice, his life is turned upside down by the arrival of his lively, lovely, long-lost cousin Lucy. She’s hip beyond Gene’s wildest dreams and immediately takes him under her wing. Lucy teaches Gene that being a hippie isn’t about love beads and peace signs, but about the choices you make and the stands you take. Yet for all her airy insights into religion, philosophy and “the isness of it all,” Lucy harbors dark secrets – secrets that will soon put her on a desperate dash to Canada, with Gene by her side. Resonating of such classics as Summer of ’42 and Zen in the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, Lucy in the Sky invites the reader into a richly detailed vision of the ‘60s, as realized by Vorhaus’s sure-handed prose and authentic sense of place and time. With frank talk about sex and drugs, LUCY IN THE SKY pulls no punches about the realities of the era, yet delivers an uplifting message about personal power and the path to enlightenment, a message that will linger long after the last page is turned.
John Vorhaus
is the author of five novels, including the acclaimed “sunshine noir” con artist novels The California Roll and The Albuquerque Turkey. His books on writing, The Comic Toolbox, Creativity Rules! and The Little Book of SITCOM, are considered bibles of the craft. A veteran international creative consultant, Vorhaus recently recruited and trained writers in Bulgaria for that country’s adaptation of Married…with Children. This true renaissance man is also an expert in poker, having written ten books on that subject, including (with Annie Duke) the smash best-seller Decide to Play Great Poker.
Amazon Author Page:
please contact the author directly at jvx@vorza.com.
My review:
I thought this audio book story was a somewhat enjoyable listening experience. The plot of it was good and nice to listen to, it was a creative plot as well. The characters are good and the listener will actually care about them. Lucy and Gene (the main characters) were pretty great characters (I really loved Lucy and I think most other audio book listeners/readers of this book will love her too). Also for anyone who is a history buff (like me) you will enjoy listening to the references of pop culture, events, and people in this audio book.
Author: John Vorhaus
Narator: John Vorhaus
Publisher/date: Spoken Word/11/1/11
Length: 3hrs and 36 mins
Audiobook Description: (form Spoken Word Inc)
| Lucy in the Sky, a coming-of-age tale set in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1969. Not precisely niched in young adult fiction, Lucy lightly touches on such weighty issues as the meaning of life and the existence of God. For those interested in answers to The Big Questions or just keen to revisit a simpler time, Lucy in the Sky promises a fun and compelling trip – and that’s trip in every sense of the word. Gene Steen is an earnest, intelligent, truth-seeking teen stuck in the cultural wasteland of his suburban home. He wants to be a hippie in the worst way, but hippies are scarce on the ground in the forlorn Midwest of Gene’s 15th year. |
Author guest blog post:
I would like to thank the author for providing a blog post for me that consists of the post, and press release
THE CHALLENGES OF VOICE FICTION
By John Vorhaus
My new novel, LUCY IN THE SKY, is a coming-of-age story set in Milwaukee in 1969, and the writing of it presented some challenges that none of my other books (light mystery and non-fiction) ever did. For one thing, I’m working in a new genre, something I call “voice fiction,” by which I mean, simply, writing with something to say. In order to accomplish my goal of having something to say, though, I had to be prepared to confront an issue that many authors struggle with: the matter of telling other people what to think. Philosophically, I have no problem with this. As a longtime teacher of writers, I have consistently taught that, in a fundamental sense, writers are there to explain things to readers. Basically, that’s our job. So this notion of “telling other people what to think” is an implicit part of the package you accept when you first put fingers to keys.
That said, there’s still an emotional risk in telling my readers, “Hey, you know what? Being a hippie isn’t about love beads and peace signs. It’s about the choices you make and the stands you take. That’s what’s important, and that’s what you should pay attention to.” So that’s me taking a stand, and I can’t help feeling nervous that someone, somewhere, will say, “Where they heck do you get off telling me what to think, what to do? Who gave you that right?” Well, I gave me that right – responsibility, really – when I became a writer. Still it makes me edgy. At such times I remind myself that part of what a writer must do is just “throw it out the window and watch to see if it lands.” So I throw and I watch. and I hope to be understood.
Another issue with Lucy is that it’s an emotional memoir. I was not a hippie, but I always wanted to be one, and much of what goes on in this book involves me channeling of a set of experiences and insights that I wished I’d had at that age in that time. I know that every book I write is at least partly autobiographical, and therefore a challenge to my self-acceptance, but this one took that idea and turned it on its head, for in Lucy, I’m not talking about myself but about a fantasy, idealized version of myself. At times during the writing I couldn’t tell whether I was engaged in storytelling or just wishful thinking. (Well, that’s why God invented editors.)
My third issue is my market. Lucy in the Sky is a coming-of-age story, no doubt. As such, it should appeal to young adult readers and adult fans of YA material. And I think it really does. At the same time, though, it’s about the 1960s, about hippies and, in a certain sense, about innocence lost a long time ago. It should, then, also appeal to people like me: people who were hippies or near-hippies and who wish to be in touch with those times and those feelings again. At the end of the day I claim that the book is “a sixties trip for young seekers and old geezers alike,” but I do worry that, from a promotional point of view, that puts me sort of neither here nor there.
How do I resolve all these conflicts? By talking about them and writing about them and posting them in places like this place here (and thanks and all hail to Autumn for letting me drop in). I don’t imagine that this post will sort out all my issues. When I’m done writing this guest blog, I’ll still have insecurity about taking responsibility for my vision, telling the truth of my experience, and selling that truth to an uncertainly defined audience. Yet I’ll feel better for having written (I always feel better for having written), and I hope you’ll have a little better insight into what goes through the mind of a writer when he crafts and sells his precious gift – his gift of words on the page.
Winston Churchill said, “Writing a book is an adventure. To begin with, it is a toy and an amusement; then it becomes a mistress, and then it becomes a master, and then a tyrant. The last phase is that just as you are about to be reconciled to your servitude, you kill the monster, and fling him out to the public.” So this is me, flinging Lucy to the public. You can sample her, and purchase her in print, ebook and author-narrated audio, at www.tinyurl.com/Lucy1969. If you’d like to know more about me and my other works, please visit www.johnvorhaus.com, or follow me on Twitter @TrueFactBarFact. Thanks for letting me drop by. Best, -jv
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: John Vorhaus; 626-256-642
“THE ISNESS OF IT ALL…”
LUCY IN THE SKY TAKES READERS ON A REAL’60s TRIP
Lucy in the Sky
A Novel
By John Vorhaus
From the prolific mind of author John Vorhaus comes a breakthrough new novel of the 1960s, a coming-of-age tale sure to intrigue and delight (as Vorhaus puts it) “young seekers and old geezers alike.” Set in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1969, LUCY IN THE SKY (Bafflegab Books, April 23, 2012) lightly touches on such weighty issues as the meaning of life, the purpose of art and the existence of God. For those interested in answers to The Big Questions or just keen to revisit a simpler time, here comes a fun and compelling trip – and that’s trip in every sense of the word!
Gene Steen is an earnest, intelligent, truth-seeking teen stuck in a suburban cultural wasteland. He wants to be a hippie in the worst way, but hippies are scarce on the ground in the forlorn Midwest of Gene’s 15th year. Then, propitiously on the Summer Solstice, his life is turned upside down by the arrival of his lively, lovely, long-lost cousin Lucy. She’s hip beyond Gene’s wildest dreams and immediately takes him under her wing. Lucy teaches Gene that being a hippie isn’t about love beads and peace signs, but about the choices you make and the stands you take. Yet for all her airy insights into religion, philosophy and “the isness of it all,” Lucy harbors dark secrets – secrets that will soon put her on a desperate dash to Canada, with Gene by her side. Resonating of such classics as Summer of ’42 and Zen in the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, Lucy in the Sky invites the reader into a richly detailed vision of the ‘60s, as realized by Vorhaus’s sure-handed prose and authentic sense of place and time. With frank talk about sex and drugs, LUCY IN THE SKY pulls no punches about the realities of the era, yet delivers an uplifting message about personal power and the path to enlightenment, a message that will linger long after the last page is turned.
John Vorhaus
is the author of five novels, including the acclaimed “sunshine noir” con artist novels The California Roll and The Albuquerque Turkey. His books on writing, The Comic Toolbox, Creativity Rules! and The Little Book of SITCOM, are considered bibles of the craft. A veteran international creative consultant, Vorhaus recently recruited and trained writers in Bulgaria for that country’s adaptation of Married…with Children. This true renaissance man is also an expert in poker, having written ten books on that subject, including (with Annie Duke) the smash best-seller Decide to Play Great Poker.
Amazon Author Page:
Audiobook Version:
Twitter Feed: @TrueFactBarFact.
For more information please visit
To schedule an interview or to arrange for a review copy,
please contact the author directly at jvx@vorza.com.
My review:
I thought this audio book story was a somewhat enjoyable listening experience. The plot of it was good and nice to listen to, it was a creative plot as well. The characters are good and the listener will actually care about them. Lucy and Gene (the main characters) were pretty great characters (I really loved Lucy and I think most other audio book listeners/readers of this book will love her too). Also for anyone who is a history buff (like me) you will enjoy listening to the references of pop culture, events, and people in this audio book.
The narration of this audio book is ok. Its read by the author himself but his voice seems to stay the same tone the whole time which gets a little boring at times , his voice is somewhat animated but I think it could have been a little better but overall I would say I enjoyed the narration because it wasn’t terrible. The artwork of the audio book was ok as well but could have been better. So overall I think this was a pretty ok, groovy, and funny coming of age tale which is an enjoyable and worthwhile listen that I would recommend to all.
I would like to thank Audiobook soild gold reviewer program for letting me listen to and review this audiobook. I also would again like to thank John Vorhaus for his guess blog post.
I would like to thank Audiobook soild gold reviewer program for letting me listen to and review this audiobook. I also would again like to thank John Vorhaus for his guess blog post.
The Reverends Wife
The Reverends Wife by Kimberla Roby Lawson
I didnt enjoy this book. I found it hard to finnish. I couldnt connect with the characters and I didnt think the plot was good. This is the second book I've read by this author (because its part of the Reverend Curtis Black series) and I have to say im not a fan and I would not recomend this book.
I would like to thank the people for Gallery for letting me read and review this book.
I didnt enjoy this book. I found it hard to finnish. I couldnt connect with the characters and I didnt think the plot was good. This is the second book I've read by this author (because its part of the Reverend Curtis Black series) and I have to say im not a fan and I would not recomend this book.
I would like to thank the people for Gallery for letting me read and review this book.
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Giveaway Winner
Congrats to Brenda the winner of my giveaway she has won The books The Sugar Frosted Nutsack and The Lifeboat. Thanks for entering!
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
We heard the heavens then
Today Im participating in a blog tour for the book We heard the heavens then byAria Minu Sepehar.
Book Info:
Book Info:
ARIA MINU-SEPEHR was raised in a sheltered world of extraordinary privilege as the son of a major general in the Shah’s Imperial Iranian Air Force. It seemed his father could do anything—lead the Golden Crowns in death-defying aerobatic maneuvers; command an air force unit using top American technology; commission a lake to be built on a desert military base, for waterskiing. When Aria was eight, “Baba” built him a dune buggy so he could explore the desert; by ten, the boy handled the controls of a Beechcraft Bonanza while his father napped in the copilot’s seat. Aria moved easily between the two distinct worlds that existed under his family’s roof—a division that mirrored the nation’s own deep and brooding divide. He was as comfortable at the lavish cocktail parties his parents threw for Iran’s elite as he was running amok in the kitchen where his beloved nanny grumbled about the whiskey drinking, French ham, and miniskirts. The 1970s were the end result of half a century of Westernization in Iran, and Aria’s father was the man of the hour. But when the Shah was overthrown and the Ayatollah rose to power in 1979, Aria’s idyllic life skidded to a halt. Days spent practicing calligraphy in his father’s embrace, lovingly torturing his nanny, and watching Sesame Street after school were suddenly infused with fears that the militia would invade his home, that he himself could be kidnapped, or that he would have to fire a gun to save Baba’s life. As the surreal began to invade the mundane, with family friends disappearing every day and resources growing scarce, Aria found himself torn between being the man of the house and being a much needed source of comic relief. His antics shone a bright light for his family, showing them how to escape, if only momentarily, the grief and horror that a vengeful revolution brought into their lives.
We Heard the Heavens Then is a deeply moving story told from two vantage points: a boy growing up faster than any child should, observing and recoiling in the moment, and the adult who is dedicated to a measured assessment of the events that shaped him. In this tightly focused memoir, Aria Minu- Sepehr takes us back through his explosive youth, into the heart of the revolution when a boy’s hero, held up as the nation’s pride, became a hunted man.
My review:
I thought this book was good. For being a memior (non fiction) it was written in a very interesting tone. I enjoyed reading it because I learned about things I really wasnt familar with. Thats why I think others will like this book. I also want to mention I liked the cover art as well. This book is well written, interesting and informative it is definately worth a read.
I would like to thank the people from free press for letting me participate in this blog tour.
We Heard the Heavens Then is a deeply moving story told from two vantage points: a boy growing up faster than any child should, observing and recoiling in the moment, and the adult who is dedicated to a measured assessment of the events that shaped him. In this tightly focused memoir, Aria Minu- Sepehr takes us back through his explosive youth, into the heart of the revolution when a boy’s hero, held up as the nation’s pride, became a hunted man.
My review:
I thought this book was good. For being a memior (non fiction) it was written in a very interesting tone. I enjoyed reading it because I learned about things I really wasnt familar with. Thats why I think others will like this book. I also want to mention I liked the cover art as well. This book is well written, interesting and informative it is definately worth a read.
I would like to thank the people from free press for letting me participate in this blog tour.
Monday, April 9, 2012
The Sugar Frosted Nutsack
The Sugar Frosted Nutsack by Mark Leyner
This book I have mixed feelings about. When I started the book and read the description of what it was to be about I was very excited to read it but as I got on in reading it and he kept repeating himself I think I stated to get tried of it. I think though the author meant to repeat himself but it got to be a bit redunant. I also found the book confusing at times. I will give credit to the author though for having a sense of humour. The cover of this book I also like. I think some people will reallly love this book that is why I think I still would recomend it.
If you would like a copy for yourself I am giveaway 3 copies of this book on my blog: http://www.tarmyblogspot.blogspot.com/2012/04/giveaways-giveaways-and-even-more_04.html (along with a couple other books) (giveaway ends 4/11/12)
I would like to thank Anna from Hachette for letting me read and review this book.
This book I have mixed feelings about. When I started the book and read the description of what it was to be about I was very excited to read it but as I got on in reading it and he kept repeating himself I think I stated to get tried of it. I think though the author meant to repeat himself but it got to be a bit redunant. I also found the book confusing at times. I will give credit to the author though for having a sense of humour. The cover of this book I also like. I think some people will reallly love this book that is why I think I still would recomend it.
If you would like a copy for yourself I am giveaway 3 copies of this book on my blog: http://www.tarmyblogspot.blogspot.com/2012/04/giveaways-giveaways-and-even-more_04.html (along with a couple other books) (giveaway ends 4/11/12)
I would like to thank Anna from Hachette for letting me read and review this book.
Friday, April 6, 2012
Recession Proof
Today im participating in a blog tour for the book Recession Proof by Kimberly S. Lin
Book Info:
Sometimes going after what you want is the hardest thing you will ever do... Meet Helen. Smart, successful and obliviously trapped. For the past six years, Helen has given her life and her heart to her cushy corporate finance job and to Mark without question. However as the Recession sweeps the Nation, she is one of many left unemployed and with the burning question of what does she really want in life. RECESSION PROOF is a debut novel for anyone that has settled in their career and relationship but has discovered that what really matters in life is living it...
Author info:
Kimberly S. Lin, a California native, graduated from UC Irvine with a degree in Economics. After college, she moved to Los Angeles and worked as a financial writer and hedge fund analyst but always dreamed of becoming a women's literature writer.
Utilizing her experiences, she tells stories that are witty, heartwarming and relatable to the modern woman.
She now resides in Orange County, CA and is working on her second novel. She is also the Publisher of Minted Magazine, a career/lifestyle magazine for women.
My review:
I thought this book was ok. It had a good plot and was written well. The characters were good as well but it was not one of my favorite books I felt like even though the plot was good the story has been done before. The cover and cover art werent really eye appealing either (it seemed a bit blane and boring) other that that though no real quams. Even though I wasnt a fan of the book I still think I would recomend it.
Book Info:
Sometimes going after what you want is the hardest thing you will ever do... Meet Helen. Smart, successful and obliviously trapped. For the past six years, Helen has given her life and her heart to her cushy corporate finance job and to Mark without question. However as the Recession sweeps the Nation, she is one of many left unemployed and with the burning question of what does she really want in life. RECESSION PROOF is a debut novel for anyone that has settled in their career and relationship but has discovered that what really matters in life is living it...
Author info:
Kimberly S. Lin, a California native, graduated from UC Irvine with a degree in Economics. After college, she moved to Los Angeles and worked as a financial writer and hedge fund analyst but always dreamed of becoming a women's literature writer.
Utilizing her experiences, she tells stories that are witty, heartwarming and relatable to the modern woman.
She now resides in Orange County, CA and is working on her second novel. She is also the Publisher of Minted Magazine, a career/lifestyle magazine for women.
My review:
I thought this book was ok. It had a good plot and was written well. The characters were good as well but it was not one of my favorite books I felt like even though the plot was good the story has been done before. The cover and cover art werent really eye appealing either (it seemed a bit blane and boring) other that that though no real quams. Even though I wasnt a fan of the book I still think I would recomend it.
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Giveaways Giveaways and Even more Giveaways
So I am reposting my giveaways of On Celestial Music and The Great Animal Orchestra
The first is for On Celestial Music by Rick Moody Rick Moody has been writing about music as long as he has been writing, and this book provides an ample selection from that output. His anatomy of the word cool reminds us that, in the postwar 40s, it was infused with the feeling of jazz music but is now merely a synonym for neat. "On Celestial Music," which was included in Best American Essays, 2008, begins with a lament for the loss in recent music of the vulnerability expressed by Otis Redding's masterpiece, "Try a Little Tenderness;" moves on to Moody's infatuation with the ecstatic music of the Velvet Underground; and ends with an appreciation of Arvo Part and Purcell, close as they are to nature, "the music of the spheres."
Contemporary groups covered include Magnetic Fields (their love songs), Wilco (the band's and Jeff Tweedy's evolution), Danielson Famile (an evangelical rock band), The Pogues (Shane McGowan's problems with addiction), The Lounge Lizards (John Lurie's brilliance), and Meredith Monk, who once recorded a song inspired by Rick Moody's story "Boys." Always both incisive and personable, these pieces inspire us to dive as deeply into the music that enhances our lives as Moody has done--and introduces us to wonderful sounds we may not know.
The second book is for the Great Animal Orchestra by Bernie Krause
Musician and naturalist Bernie Krause is one of the world's leading experts in natural sound, and he's spent his life discovering and recording nature's rich chorus. Searching far beyond our modern world's honking horns and buzzing machinery, he has sought out the truly wild places that remain, where natural soundscapes exist virtually unchanged from when the earliest humans first inhabited the earth.
Krause shares fascinating insight into how deeply animals rely on their aural habitat to survive and the damaging effects of extraneous noise on the delicate balance between predator and prey. But natural soundscapes aren't vital only to the animal kingdom; Krause explores how the myriad voices and rhythms of the natural world formed a basis from which our own musical expression emerged.
From snapping shrimp, popping viruses, and the songs of humpback whales-whose voices, if unimpeded, could circle the earth in hours-to cracking glaciers, bubbling streams, and the roar of intense storms; from melody-singing birds to the organlike drone of wind blowing over reeds, the sounds Krause has experienced and describes are like no others. And from recording jaguars at night in the Amazon rain forest to encountering mountain gorillas in Africa's Virunga Mountains, Krause offers an intense and intensely personal narrative of the planet's deep and connected natural sounds and rhythm.
The Great Animal Orchestra is the story of one man's pursuit of natural music in its purest form, and an impassioned case for the conservation of one of our most overlooked natural resources-the music of the wild.
The Third Book is the Lifeboat by Charlotte Rogan
In the summer of 1914, the elegant ocean liner carrying her and her husband Henry across the Atlantic suffers a mysterious explosion. Setting aside his own safety, Henry secures Grace a place in a lifeboat, which the survivors quickly realize is over capacity. For any to live, some must die.
As the castaways battle the elements, and each other, Grace recollects the unorthodox way she and Henry met, and the new life of privilege she thought she'd found. Will she pay any price to keep it?
The Lifeboat is a page-turning novel of hard choices and survival, narrated by a woman as unforgettable and complex as the events she describes.
The Fourth Book is the Suger Frosted Nutsack by Mark Leyner High above the bustling streets of Dubai, in the world's tallest and most luxurious skyscraper, reside the gods and goddesses of the modern world. Since they emerged 14 billion years ago from a bus blaring a tune remarkably similar to the Mister Softee jingle, they've wreaked mischief and havoc on mankind. Unable to control their jealousies, the gods have splintered into several factions, led by the immortal enemies XOXO, Shanice, La Felina, Fast-Cooking Ali, and Mogul Magoo. Ike Karton, an unemployed butcher from New Jersey, is their current obsession.
Ritualistically recited by a cast of drug-addled bards, THE SUGAR FROSTED NUTSACK is Ike's epic story. A raucous tale of gods and men confronting lust, ambition, death, and the eternal verities, it is a wildly fun, wickedly fast gambol through the unmapped corridors of the imagination. Here are the details of the giveaway:
3 Copies of each book will be givenaway
contest only open to U.S. and Canada
books can not be sent to P.O. Boxes
winners of the giveaway will have the books sent directly to them
How you can enter the giveaway
if you are interested in winning a copy of this book:
please comment on this post you get one point for being a new follower so put +1 after your post
or if you have been my follower for awhile put +2
I also have another blog where I review all kinds of things but mainly products if you become a follower of that blog let me know here and you get an extra entry the link to that blog is: http://wwwmyrbblogsot.blogspot.com/
Please Specify which Book or Books you are entering for
Giveaway Dates April 4-11
I would like to thank Anna from Hachette for letting me host these giveaways
The first is for On Celestial Music by Rick Moody Rick Moody has been writing about music as long as he has been writing, and this book provides an ample selection from that output. His anatomy of the word cool reminds us that, in the postwar 40s, it was infused with the feeling of jazz music but is now merely a synonym for neat. "On Celestial Music," which was included in Best American Essays, 2008, begins with a lament for the loss in recent music of the vulnerability expressed by Otis Redding's masterpiece, "Try a Little Tenderness;" moves on to Moody's infatuation with the ecstatic music of the Velvet Underground; and ends with an appreciation of Arvo Part and Purcell, close as they are to nature, "the music of the spheres."
Contemporary groups covered include Magnetic Fields (their love songs), Wilco (the band's and Jeff Tweedy's evolution), Danielson Famile (an evangelical rock band), The Pogues (Shane McGowan's problems with addiction), The Lounge Lizards (John Lurie's brilliance), and Meredith Monk, who once recorded a song inspired by Rick Moody's story "Boys." Always both incisive and personable, these pieces inspire us to dive as deeply into the music that enhances our lives as Moody has done--and introduces us to wonderful sounds we may not know.
The second book is for the Great Animal Orchestra by Bernie Krause
Musician and naturalist Bernie Krause is one of the world's leading experts in natural sound, and he's spent his life discovering and recording nature's rich chorus. Searching far beyond our modern world's honking horns and buzzing machinery, he has sought out the truly wild places that remain, where natural soundscapes exist virtually unchanged from when the earliest humans first inhabited the earth.
Krause shares fascinating insight into how deeply animals rely on their aural habitat to survive and the damaging effects of extraneous noise on the delicate balance between predator and prey. But natural soundscapes aren't vital only to the animal kingdom; Krause explores how the myriad voices and rhythms of the natural world formed a basis from which our own musical expression emerged.
From snapping shrimp, popping viruses, and the songs of humpback whales-whose voices, if unimpeded, could circle the earth in hours-to cracking glaciers, bubbling streams, and the roar of intense storms; from melody-singing birds to the organlike drone of wind blowing over reeds, the sounds Krause has experienced and describes are like no others. And from recording jaguars at night in the Amazon rain forest to encountering mountain gorillas in Africa's Virunga Mountains, Krause offers an intense and intensely personal narrative of the planet's deep and connected natural sounds and rhythm.
The Great Animal Orchestra is the story of one man's pursuit of natural music in its purest form, and an impassioned case for the conservation of one of our most overlooked natural resources-the music of the wild.
The Third Book is the Lifeboat by Charlotte Rogan
In the summer of 1914, the elegant ocean liner carrying her and her husband Henry across the Atlantic suffers a mysterious explosion. Setting aside his own safety, Henry secures Grace a place in a lifeboat, which the survivors quickly realize is over capacity. For any to live, some must die.
As the castaways battle the elements, and each other, Grace recollects the unorthodox way she and Henry met, and the new life of privilege she thought she'd found. Will she pay any price to keep it?
The Lifeboat is a page-turning novel of hard choices and survival, narrated by a woman as unforgettable and complex as the events she describes.
The Fourth Book is the Suger Frosted Nutsack by Mark Leyner High above the bustling streets of Dubai, in the world's tallest and most luxurious skyscraper, reside the gods and goddesses of the modern world. Since they emerged 14 billion years ago from a bus blaring a tune remarkably similar to the Mister Softee jingle, they've wreaked mischief and havoc on mankind. Unable to control their jealousies, the gods have splintered into several factions, led by the immortal enemies XOXO, Shanice, La Felina, Fast-Cooking Ali, and Mogul Magoo. Ike Karton, an unemployed butcher from New Jersey, is their current obsession.
Ritualistically recited by a cast of drug-addled bards, THE SUGAR FROSTED NUTSACK is Ike's epic story. A raucous tale of gods and men confronting lust, ambition, death, and the eternal verities, it is a wildly fun, wickedly fast gambol through the unmapped corridors of the imagination. Here are the details of the giveaway:
3 Copies of each book will be givenaway
contest only open to U.S. and Canada
books can not be sent to P.O. Boxes
winners of the giveaway will have the books sent directly to them
How you can enter the giveaway
if you are interested in winning a copy of this book:
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Please Specify which Book or Books you are entering for
Giveaway Dates April 4-11
I would like to thank Anna from Hachette for letting me host these giveaways
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