gpbookblog

Just finished reading Not without My Daughter by Betty Mahmoody. I’ve seen the movie but the book is so much more detailed and, of course, it is much easier to convey deep, raw emotion with words. At least it is for me. Anyway, in the book Betty Mahmoody is able to set the stage, so to speak, with descriptions of her surroundings while in Iran. The people and the country and also the fear and tension at the time. She and her daughter, Mahtob, were trapped in Iran for almost two years.

Also in the book you can see just how many people in Iran helped them both. Indeed, several people risk their lives to help them. The depiction of their escape is stunning. The very fact that they both survived is amazing.

Even if you have seen the movie you really should read the book. It will have you on the edge of your seat. And even though you know the outcome, they do get out; you will still be breathless to turn the page. Not Without My Daughter by Betty Mahmoody

If you are a true crime fan then you will probably find these two books interesting. The first one is different in the fact that the murder victim is Amish; a rare thing for a murder to take place in the Amish community. Emma King (the victim’s niece) tells the story. It is a short book and reads like a conversation. Like Miss King is talking to you directly. The book is Joys, Sorrows and Shadows by Emma King.

The second book is about someone you might remember. Do you remember Susan Smith? Well, the title of this book is certainly appropriate since it is about the woman who strapped her two young sons into the back seat of her car and then pushed it into a lake. The story is told by the father of the boys, David Smith. The book is titled Beyond All Reason: My Life with Susan Smith by David Smith. 

So, all you true crime fans out there look up these two books.

Here are a few books about food. Not how to cook food nor how to eat food but how food effected and shaped the lives of the authors. I really enjoyed these books and if you are a chef or just aspire to be or if you never miss an episode of Food Network’s Chopped! Then I can almost guarantee you will love these books too. All grab your attention early and hold on to it through every sentence. 

 Tender at the Bone: Growing Up at the Table by Ruth Reichl 

Waiting: The True Confessions of a Waitress by Debra Ginsberg 

My Kitchen Wars by Betty Harper Fussell 

Enjoy!

The story of a young girl growing up in 1950’s America only this girl had some very real stumbling blocks placed in front of her. Born the daughter of a black musician and a white actress young June had to find her way through a maze of trouble and heartache. Sent to live with another woman so as to keep her identity a secret she had to make it through some very confusing and hurtful areas.  She made it through though and came to understand her mother in ways she never thought possible.  

A good book which shows the ways society can place burdens where they do not belong. Secret Daughter by June Cross.

He was a tiny little kitten shoved through a book drop on a very cold night. And that is how Dewey came to live at the public library in a small Iowa town. Over the years he won the hearts and minds of hundreds of people and soon reached across the miles to parts far removed from small town Iowa.

 This was a very cute as well as touching book about a cat that brought people together and helped them through some really bad times. Pets have a way of doing that you know…bringing people together and healing their hurts.  I loved this book. Of course, the fact that I am a cat lover may have pre-disposed me but even so I think you will like it too. Dewey Readmore Books was a very special cat indeed. Dewey: TheSmall Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicki Myron.

Books are such a big part of my life. I can remember seeing my mother and father reading when I was a small child. There were always books, magazines and newspapers in our house. By the way, seeing people reading on a daily basis and interacting with books is so important to a child’s future reading skill development. I have hundreds of books. When I moved to Pennsylvannia from Texas I packed all my books and shipped them to my new home. Man, did that cost me a pretty penny! But it was worth every penny.

Today, I purchased two new books from my favorite web site in the all wide world…Amazon…thank goodness for Amazon! I am currently reading a book I checked out from the library so I will be reviewing on a regular basis soon. It has occurred to me that my blogs are not so much “reviews” as they are summaries but at any rate I hope my posts introduce you to  books you will enjoy.

Stay tuned for more “reviews” soon. Have a happy weekend!

Ever since I moved to Pennsylvania I have been fascinated with the Amish. Well, maybe “fascinated” isn’t the most appropriate word I guess it is more like “very interested”. Anyway, I can’t really just walk up to an Amish person and start asking questions, although I guess some people would, because that would be extremely rude and most unwelcomed I am sure. So, instead, I visit the good ol local library

One book I recently read, I have read dozens of books on the Amish, was titled Plain Secrets: An outsider among the Amish by Joe Mackall. In this book the author gives a glimpse into the tightly knit Amish family and community. Because of his friendship with a local Amish family he is able to show the rest of us, the “English”, how very fragile and yet how very strong the Amish people are. God, family, community that is what the Amish are all about. The Amish people are at once, simple, complex and complicated and even controversial at times.

This book is an easy read that will grab your attention from the first page to the last. Check your local library or Amazon for this book and if you would like to know more about the Amish check out the following link.

I am proud to be an American and in my heart of hearts I know that America is a wonderful place. No matter what other countries think of us, there are still millions of people clamoring to get here and even risking their lives to do so. Therefore, America must be a pretty darn good place otherwise why wouldn’t all these people go somewhere else. I am not political and I do not know the answers to the simmering questions like illegal immigration or foreign policy nor do I even attempt to pretend that I do but I do know that I am grateful to have been born in America. So far in my 47 years of life there have been no civil wars, no ethnic cleansings, no mustard gas spewed out over my neighborhood. We all know that these things happen though, in other places…but, thankfully, they have not happened here. Okay, okay…so I am getting a little sappy but this book I am reading brings to mind the things I have mentioned here. It is called Things I’ve Been Silent About by Azar Nafisi.

Azar Nafisi was born and raised in Iran and this book is about her personal memories as they relate to her parents and her life caught in the middle between them. A rock and a hard place you could say. But even though it is not solely about Iran or government or politics when you read this book you will quickly see how much those things are enmeshed with every day life there. As I read this book it occurs to me that being Iranian and being political can not possibly be separated. I, of course, have never been to Iran but I was amazed, shocked, saddened and enchanted with the author’s descriptions of her country, her family and her life.

Being an American I can not possibly know what it is like to come from a place so steeped in history and tradition but neither do I know what it is like to live in a city that is being bombed, or to have my basic human rights taken away simply because I am a woman, or beaten and stoned because my hair was not covered properly.

At any rate I will stop rambling now just wanted to introduce you all to this book.

Also if you would like to learn more about Iran check out the following link.

When I first started this book I didn’t really know what to expect. Mr. McMurtry made it clear in the first few pages that he was not going to be analyzing or otherwise trying to figure out the where fors and the whys of people and why they act as they do in different parts of the country. No, what he would be doing is simply observing as he sped by on the highways of the USA. Well, he did a very good job of observing, so well in fact that I could almost hear the trucks whizzing past him as he drove on down the road.

Larry simply drove on any highway he felt like driving on for however long he felt like doing so and while he drove he mused on history, books and sometimes just describing what he saw as his wheels whined. Some stretches of highway he described were familiar to me, many were not but more then once I found myself homesick for my own Texas prairie and ready to hit the road myself. I also found myself, yellow marker in hand, highlighting all the books and authors and snippets of history he mentions so I can research and read them on my own.

One of the most unique books I have ever had the pleasure of reading. Roads by Larry McMurtry.

Also, check out one of McMurty’s great movies by clicking the link below.

Well, I have been cleaning out from under the bed again and, as usual, I found dozens of magazines. This always drove my grandmother nuts but I find the underside of the bed to be a great storage space. As I was looking through these magazines I thought “Hey, why not share some of these mags with my bookish pals.” So, that is what I am going to do! I know there are several books under there too so stay tuned for more book reviews soon. This is an oldie but still a goodie…. 

Woman’s Day Articles on health, food, style and everyday solutions to everyday problems.  I’m a country girl….. Farm and Ranch Living  Beautiful pictures of farms and ranches plus daily diaries from real farm and ranch families and of course recipes plus many other features. Well, it’s back to the bed to see what else I can dig out.

Hey, here’s a neat little clutter control tool for all of us magazine hoaders. Click the link to learn more.