MIND YOUR BUSINESS! I'M FEELING BULLISH...



 NOW THAT I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION  (That's ONSLOW, the Bulldog)

We are solidly into 2012 and it's time to stop dreaming and start doing. Novels are a great escape but my guest reviewer, GHS has  suggested two chilling business books that will definitly serve as a reality check.
GHS is Senior Vice President of a brokerage firm and a registered investment advisor.  He has an extensive background in the regulatory side of the business serving  on the NASD Quality of Markets Committee and as an Arbitrator for industry sponsored forums for dispute resolutions.
(He was very well brought up too..from a nice family..)

GHS SAYS....
To better understand the financial crisis and its origins, here are two books that provide a very exciting contrast. One is about the crisis as it unfolded while the other is about its origins over 20 years ago. Both provide unique insight into human behavior and the motivation for profit in a male dominated world of high finance.  


TOO BIG TO FAIL BY ANDREW ROSS SORKIN

To better understand one of the most tumultuous periods in American financial history I recommend reading ‘Too Big to Fail' by Andrew Ross Sorkin. Written in 2010, the book is a behind the scenes look at the key players and events leading up to and during the biggest U.S. financial crisis since the Great Depression. You will go inside the boardroom at Lehman, to secret meetings in Korea, the White House and Treasury. Sorkin, a columnist for the New York Times and TV co-host of Squawk-Box on CNBC writes a real life thriller with a ‘fly on the wall’ perspective. Too Big to Fail re-creates all the drama and turmoil as it unfolds and provides an educational experience into the depths of the crisis.


LIAR'S POKER BY MICHAEL LEWIS

If you’ve ever wondered what it was like to be young and rich on Wall Street in the 1980’s—I recommend reading Liar’s Poker by Michael Lewis. Written in 1989, It’s the story of the author’s two year rise through the training program at Salomon Brothers, eventually becoming a hot shot bond salesman. When the book was written, many on Wall Street saw it as a textbook for success. However, reading it now, it shows us that our current financial challenges originated over 30 years ago in trading rooms that operated like a frat house.

Michael Lewis is the author of  The Blindside, The Money Culture, Moneyball, The Big Short
among other works.




BLOG READER'S RECOMMENDATION     (1/29/2011)
 LS from Lexington, Massachusetts gave high praise for OLD FILTH by JANE GARDEM.
This novel outlines the life of a British barrister known as "Old Filth." The narrative moves from past to present following his life, hinting at a terrible event that occured when he was eight. JANE GARDEM paints a portrait of a man whose fate it was "to be left and forgotten."

OLD FILTH was nominated for the prestigious Orange Prize and LS called it a "must read."
Reviewers labeled it " a compelling, vivid and defiantly funny novel"




AM I TOO OLD FOR YOUNG ADULT FICTION?

First of all, what is Young Adult Fiction? I do have an inkling, but since I am a "person of a certain age" I have no recent experience with Young Adult Fiction or with young adults for that matter.  
The genre (and yes it is a genre) focuses on the reader between the ages of twelve and eighteen. It has its own moniker (YA) and a huge following.

This Was My House First by Jennifer Clements Stockdale is a prime example of Young Adult fiction at its best. Read on and you'll see why...
Jenifer Clements Stockdale is one of ten children and an author formerly from Martha's Vineyard. This Was My House First gives a rare glimpse into the inner works of a foster home from the perspective of someone not emmeshed in the foster care system.

The poignant story is part truth and part fiction and the children's conversations that contribute to the story are based on the author's family
What about the biological kids in a foster care home?  How do they interact with the foster children? Do they feel replaced?

Jenifer was faced with these questions when she  began training as a foster parent and wanted to prepare her family. The story unfolds easily and will educate and enlighten any young reader (or older reader as well.) I found THIS WAS MY HOUSE FIRST  to be sad but uplifting and told in an honest, frank, and clear voice.

Jenifer Clement Stockdale is a Special Education Teacher and has been a foster parent for ten years.  Currently she is participating in a foster care training program with her daughter who is preparing to open her own foster care home.

THIS WAS MY HOUSE FIRST is an entrant in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Contest. It can be purchased from lulu.com in paperback or as a Kindle edition. Click on the book image below to purchase from Amazon.




MORE RELEASES FOR JANUARY AND FEBRUARY

 Of all the books I read this month, a definite standout was How It All Began by Penelope Lively, an inspiring and vibrant story by an author who never fails to disappoint.
I suggested this book several weeks ago and now I see it's on the bestseller list... ( is that my fault?)
It's an elegant, witty, deceptively simple work of fiction. I love the fact that the major characters are well past their youth (I can relate to that) but are portrayed as  blossoming and inventive.  How It All Began is a masterful story of the surprising ways lives intersect.
FYI
The writing style feels formal and stilted in the beginning but falls away as you get involved in the momentum of the story.


Now...New Releases..

THE FLIGHT OF GEMMA HARDY BY MARGOT LIVESEY     
How curious to read a contemporary version of a classic novel! In her new book, THE FLIGHT OF GEMMA HARDY, Margot Livesey offers an updated retelling of Bronte's Jane Eyre.  Fast paced and engaging, this novel is written by an author known for her fluid writing style and inventive prose. You will recognize the classic story, and the updated Jane Eyre is a delightful character, poignant and touching, re-named Gemma Hardy.


A WALK ACROSS THE SUN BY CORBAN ADDISON     
This first novel by Corban Addison has quietly and steadfastly emerged on the book scene. It is a powerful eye-opening journey into Mumbai's seedy underworld and the nightmare of two orphaned girls. The story is compelling and the shocking message leaves an impact not soon forgotten. reviewers have labeled A WALK ACROSS THE SUN "beautiful in its story and important in its message."
Corban Addison is an attorney and is a supporter of numerous  human rights causes including the abolition of modern slavery.


NO ONE IS HERE EXCEPT ALL OF US BY RAMONA AUSUBEL
In 1939 a Jewish village in Romania decides to live in a fantasy world in order to avoid the impending doom surrounding them. The author creates a believable world in an unbelievable  situation and reviewers have praised this debut novel as " groundbreaking, beautifully written and riviting."  NO ONE IS HERE EXCEPT ALL OF US is based on a true story of the author's great grandmother during world war 2.
I have not read this book yet, but several blog readers have given it high praise.

REMINDER: Order directly from AMAZON SEARCHBOX located in the sidebar.

MUST READ LIST/ NO MORE ANGST! 1/16/2012

   ENOUGH DIVERSION...ENTERING THE UNKNOWN
I need a break! I've endured The Grief of Others and am looking for A Sense of an Ending. I'm approaching A State of Wonder and am ready for the Cocktail Hour Under the Tree of Forgiveness.
In other words, the following recommendations are definitly going to be humorous fiction bestsellers. The reviews have been outstanding, the authors are well loved and it's time for some fun...or rum....whatever....

Product DetailsHope: a Tragedy by Shalom Auslander

I  usually trust NPR and their review of this book leads me to believe they are totally off base or absolutely on target. Hope makes light of genocide and is a novel with a Jewish theme (See what i mean?) One of my readers called it "side-splitingly funny and irreverant." I personally like irreverance and being a Woody Allen fan, I can relate to Jewish guilt and would find meeting a foul mouthed Anne Frank a great adventure!
She's in this book...what a trip!!!


Lunatics by Dave Barry and Alan Zweibel

I always appreciate a Pulitzer Prize winning humorist and have been a follower of Dave Barry for years. His humor never fails to amuse. Alan Zweibel is one of the original Saturday Night Live writers and the winner of multiple emmys and literary prizes.

Lunatics is a comic novel, a collaboration between humorists dealing with ordinary characters placed in implausible but not impossible situations. Reviewers have labeled the humor explicit, sometimes crude, sometimes outlandish, sometimes a little sophomoric, but always great fun.


Thinking Spring...

A blog reader from Albany New York recommended this handsome, lavishly illustrated book published by the American Horticultural Society aptly titled A to Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants.

Product DetailsThis is more than just a plant guide, it's a reference for the novice gardener as well as the  more experienced. Included are sections about basic gardening techniques, mulching, pruning and an unsurpassed wealth of botanical and practical information.
Not a gardener? Enhance your coffee table!



I HAVE INVITED GUEST REVIEWER AC, A STEPHEN KING FAN, AND
INTREPID READER TO REVIEW  11/22/63, KING'S LATEST TOME.
AC, LIVES IN BOSTON AND IS A LONG TIME KING FAN. AC IS ALSO
A TALENTED WRITER, SO ENJOY HIS REVIEW BELOW.

Being an adrenaline junkie helps as I am almost always on the scariest roller coaster ride when reading a King novel like “Full Dark, No Stars” but it is the ease with which Stephen King develops characters and plot that I so highly recommend 11/22/63. I was interested in the characters from the moment of their introduction, wondering how they were connected to the plot of thwarting the assignation of President Kennedy.  11/22/63 could easily have been some hokey, sci-fi account of what modern America would be like if Kennedy had lived but instead, King delivers a fact-filled read, a journey that I hoped wouldn’t end.  I could have stayed with King’s characters in early 1960’s Texas and been perfectly content.  I thought the ending was beautifully done.  Fasten your seat belt and read 11/22/63.
Product Details

JANUARY RELEASES IN FICTION, NON-FICTION AND BIOGRAPHY

FINALLY SOME NEW BOOKS TO TALK ABOUT!  THE FOLLOWING FICTION AND NONFICTION RELEASES RECEIVED PROMISING REVIEWS (A REFRESHING PERSPECTIVE THAT REMAINS TO BE SEEN...)

HOW IT ALL BEGAN BY PENELOPE LIVELY
PENELOPE LIVELY IS A MAN BOOKER PRIZE WINNING AUTHOR. HER NEW NOVEL IS SAID TO BE A "WISE STORY ABOUT THE SURPRISING WAYS LIVES CAN INTERSECT."
IT TELLS THE TALE OF A WOMAN  ACCOSTED ON A  LONDON STREET AND AS A RESULT, CATAPULTING THE LIVES OF STRANGERS AND ACQUAINTANCES ALIKE.
THE NYTIMES CALLED THIS BOOK "AN ELEGANT, WITTY WORK OF FICTION, DECEPTIVELY SIMPLE, EMOTIONALLY AND INTELLECTUALLY PENETRATING" ( WHEW!)
I AM CURRENTLY READING THIS BOOK AND SO FAR IT'S LIVING UP TO THE REVIEWS.
I WILL KEEP YOU UPDATED!

THE ORPHAN MASTER'S SON BY ADAM JOHNSON
GET READY FOR A FAST PACED POLITICAL THRILLER SET IN MODERN DAY NORTH KOREA. IT COMBINES A LOVE STORY, AND AN  ADVENTURE THRILLER  CREATING A POWERFUL TALE OF SURVIVAL. (NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART)
ADAM JOHNSON IS A CREATIVE WRITING PROFESSOR AT STANFORD AND
HAS VISITED NORTH KOREA MANY TIMES
SINCE I AM OF THE FAINT OF HEART I PROBABLY WILL NOT ATTEMPT IT, EVEN THOUGH GOODREADS (A MOST RELIABLE BOOK SITE)  AND NPR CALLED IT "GRIPPING."

BOOK ALERT!      (1/15/2012)
THE  SUNDAY BOOK SECTION OF THE NEW YORK TIMES  HAS GIVEN  THE ORPHAN MASTER'S SON AN EXCELLENT REVIEW. I MAY RECONSIDER PUTTING IT ON MY TO READ LIST.


THE WORLD WE FOUND BY THRITY UMIGAR
I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR A NEW NOVEL BY THIS AUTHOR. HER PREVIOUS BOOKS,   THE SPACE BETWEEN US AND  THE WEIGHT OF HEAVEN, WERE BOTH ABSORBING, ELOQUENT TALES AND THE WORLD WE FOUND PROMISES TO BE THE SAME. THE NOVEL FOLLOWS THE STORIES OF FOUR INDIAN WOMEN AND HOW THEY COME TO TERMS WITH THEIR LIVES ..SIMPLY PUT, A STORY OF FRIENDSHIP, LOYALTY AND LOVE.


NONFICTION

THE MOMENT BY LARRY SMITH
THIS PAPERBACK IS A COLLECTION OF PERSONAL STORIES FROM WRITERS AND ARTISTS BOTH OBSCURE AND FAMOUS. IT REVEALS HOW A SINGLE MOMENT CAN CHANGE A LIFE FOREVER. THE NARRATIVES COME IN ALL SHAPES AND SIZES INCLUDING LETTERS, ILLUSTRATIONS AND MORE. THE MOMENT RECIEVED EXCELLENT REVIEWS.
THIS IS THE KIND OF BOOK YOU CAN PICK UP AND PUT DOWN...READ SOMETHING IN BETWEEN AND COME BACK TO IT.

KAYAK MORNING BY ROGER ROSENBLATT
BECAUSE I AM A KAYAKER I WAS ATTRACTED TO THIS TITLE. ON CLOSER SCRUTINY, I DISCOVERED IT IS A BOOK BASED ON A JOURNEY PRECIPITATED BY THE DEATH OF THE AUTHOR'S 38 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER. THE BOOK IS SUBTITLED "REFLECTIONS ON LOVE, GRIEF, AND SMALL BOATS."  ROSENBLATT ACTUALLY PADDLES HIS WAY TO RESOLUTION OF HIS ANGUISH AND EXPERIENCES AN EPIPHANY THAT RELEASES HIM FROM HIS TORMENT. ROGER ROSENBLATT IS AN ACCLAIMED AUTHOR HAVING WON TWO POLK AWARDS, AN EMMY AND A PEABODY AWARD.

BIOGRAPHY

MORE ROOM IN A BROKEN HEART BY STEPHEN DAVIS
 FOR POP CULTURE FANS, A NEW BIOGRAPHY OF CARLY SIMON APPEARS IN STORES THIS MONTH. THE  AUTHOR, STEVEN DAVIS IS NOT JUST A WELL KNOWN JOURNALIST BUT A FAMILY FRIEND.  BECAUSE OF THIS RELATIONSHIP,  HE WAS  ABLE TO PROVIDE AN INTIMATE PERSPECTIVE ON HER CAREER AND HER PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS. 
JAMES TAYLOR PLAYS A LARGE PART IN THE BOOK ALONG WITH OTHER COLLABORATORS. ALTHOUGH NOT COMPLETELY AUTHORIZED BY SIMON, STEPHEN DAVIS CHARTS HER BEGINNINGS UP TO THE PRESENT IN A REFRESHING AND STRAIGHTFORWARD STYLE.




BLOG READERS CHOICES

MSA FROM BOSTON  AND BG FROM WEST HARTFORD SUGGEST;
HALF THE SKY BY NICHOLAS KRISTOFF AND SHERYL WuDUNN

New York Times columnist Kristoff and his wife, WuDunn, a former Times reporter, make a brilliant case for women by "investing in the health and autonomy of women worldwide." These  stories show the power and resilience of women who have every reason to give up but never do. It explores some of the shameless conditions of our time written in an unadorned simple style.
Both Blog readers gave this book high praise.



REMINDER!
PLEASE REMEMBER TO LEAVE COMMENTS.  ANY BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS WILL BE WELCOMED...ANY OPINIONS WILL BE CONSIDERED..BUT MOST OF ALL,
IN THE WORDS OF JOAN RIVERS, "LET'S TALK!!"