LOVE MAY FAIL (JULY 2015)

I just read a great review in the Boston Globe. Evidently Matthew Quick the author of SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK has released a new book titled LOVE MAY FAIL. It sounds like a more complicated storyline but equally as inspiring.

The reviewer said there are lapses, and some sections are a bit uneven, but so what.... Who doesn't like an easy, thoughtful read with laughs and tears along the way? Who doesn't like engaging characters, quirky circumstances and rhythmical prose?  Who doesn't like a little dysfunction as long as it doesn't affect you?  It's all there and then some...Get ready for an interesting ride....

BLOG READER'S SUGGESTIONS

I recently received a call from blog reader Susan G. She is a longtime follower of Joyce's Choices and we seem to share similar views on books and authors. Susan had a few suggestions for  "beach reads"....although in this case, her suggestions have a lot more depth than the label suggests.

Here are two of her favorites....

A SIMPLE PLAN by Scott Smith

An amazing story that will sound like a modern day morality play...This is a debut novel also made into a film. The film and the book were both excellent...for a change!

HALF THE SKY by Nicholas Kristoff and Sheryl WuDunn

This would be a "pseudo" beach read written by New York Times columnist and his wife, a former Times reporter. The book is a call to arms against the oppression of women and girls in the developing world of Africa and Asia. An inspirational book and a must read...on the beach or off!

Order these books directly from the blog. Click on the Amazon Search Box in the Sicebar.

WHAT AM I READING AND WHY? (JUNE 2015)

Author Jami Attenberg wrote a book I'll never forget. The title was The MIDDLESTEINS and I couldn't put it down. This new book is not as captivating but Attenberg's unique wit and heart shine through....slow moving at first and a major departure from The MIDDLESTEINS...you'll be caught up in Maizie before you know it. My only critique is the diary form and so many voices, but the writing style makes up for it...it flows.

SAINT MAZIE by Jami Attenberg (Historical Fiction) Mazie Phillips is the truth-telling proprietress of The Venice, the famed New York City movie theater. When the Great Depression hits, she opens the doors of The Venice to those in need, becoming the beating heart of the Lower East Side. More than 90 years after Mazie began her diary, it is discovered by a documentarian in search of a good story. Who was Mazie Phillips, really? A chorus of voices from the past and present fill in some of the mysterious blanks of her adventurous life. Reviewed by Megan Elliott on Bookreporter.com

JUNE BOOKMARKS (2015)

Did you know that Andrew Jackson was a sleaze? Do you care? Well, for history buffs out there, JACKSONLAND depicts our seventh president in not such a good light. According to the editors on Bookpage.com, Jackson left a messy legacy and this lively narrative by award winning journalist, Steve Inskeep of NPR fame, is a page turner.

On a different note, if you were a fan of THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL SOCIETY, you'll want to read Annie Barrow's new book, THE TRUTH ACCORDING TO US. Evoking the same charm, style and appeal, it captivated critics and blog readers alike. It's on the top of my TBR list....

The Truth According to Us By Annie Barrows HISTORICAL FICTION The co-author of the 2008 reader favorite The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society returns with a thoroughly charming small-town story. When a socialite arrives in tiny Macedonia, West Virginia, during the Great Depression to write a town history, she stirs up a whole lot of secrets—and 12-year-old Willa’s life will never be the same. Barrows blends letters and multiple narrators to provide a panoramic view of a community bursting with vivid personalities. Jacksonland By Steve Inskeep HISTORY For now, at least, Andrew Jackson still graces the front of our 20-dollar bill. But the reputation of our seventh president will be jolted by this riveting look at how Old Hickory prevailed in taking land from the Cherokee and enriching himself and his associates in the process. Inskeep, an award-winning journalist and cohost of NPR's "Morning Edition" pairs Jackson's story with the struggles of John Ross, the eloquent Cherokee chief who went all the way to the Supreme Court in a failing effort to hold on to the tribe's ancestral lands.