3rd Annual King Library Author Fair

Hi all.  This Sunday, from 2:00-5:00, is the 3rd Annual King Library Author Fair.  It's at Martin Luther King Library at 150 E. San Fernando Ave. in San Jose.  It's on the corner of San Fernando and 4th St.There will be over 30 authors there, representing 8 genres.  Here's the info along with the links.

Author Fair 2015

Sunday, November 15, 2-5pm

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library, Room 225/255

150 East San Fernando Street, San Jose

FREE

https://www.facebook.com/events/698164770285363/

http://events.sjpl.org/event/king_library_book_fair#.VkV1bWDSZiG

W.E.B. Griffin #43! (43 books from the same author - isn't that crazy?)

Not only is this my 43nd Griffin, it's also book #1 of a new series.  It's my 1st Griffin since early last year.  And, after reading Top Secret, #1 in the Clandestine Operations series, I'm sorry I waited so long.  I just flat-out enjoy all of his military-based books (I read one in his police series, and it didn't grab me - but I still count it among the 43!).

This one starts in October, 1945, just a few months after the end of WWII.  Here's what the book itself says about Top Secret:

     "In the first weeks after World War II, James D. Cronley Jr. is recruited for a new enterprise that will eventually be transformed into something called the CIA.  For a new war has already begun, against an enemy that is bigger, smarter, and more vicious:  the Soviet Union.
      The Soviets have hit the ground running, and Cronley's job is to help frustrate them, harass them, and spy on them in any way he can.  But his first assignment might be his last.  He's got only seven days to extract a piece of information from a Soviet agent, and he's already managed to rile up his superior officers.  If he fails now, his intelligence career could be the shortest in history.
      There are enemies everywhere - and, as Cronley is about to find out, some of them wear the same uniform he does..."

Sounds good, don't you think?  Here are a few other elements/questions in this book:

1)  James (Jimmy) is only 22 years old and finds himself in charge of a secret camp in Germany that harbors ex-German soldiers.  Is it a collaboration or a detention camp?  Or both?  Is he in over his head?
2)  Have you read the Honor Bound series?  There might be a significant "visitor" from those books making an appearance in this one.
3)  Why would a Colonel's wife, quite a few years older than Jimmy, pay so much attention to him?
4)  Does Jimmy have his own love interest?

There's a lot about Griffin's books that I like.  He combines drama, complexity, intrigue, humor, history/historical figures, and just good writing.  He makes you laugh, cry, and cringe.  There's a point where you get to see Jimmy sitting next to Eisenhower who, at that time, was commander of the ETO - European Theater of Operations.  There's also a scene where Jimmy is honored, in person, by President Truman.  You all know I'm a big fan of historical fiction.  Griffin does it better than just about anybody.

Book #2, The Assassination Option, is coming out in paperback later this month, and I will be getting it immediately.  I vow never to slack off on Griffin's military books again.  Top Secret rates a 3.25/4.

POINT OF CLARIFICATION:  Griffin has been writing with his son, William E. Butterworth IV, for quite a few years now.  And, as you can see on the cover, he gets writing credit as a co-author.  Despite that, I still think of these as W.E.B. Griffin's books.

Some Miscellaneous Stuff

GOOD NEWS!  I only have 3 little links (well, 2 links plus some googling) and 1 movie update for you.  What have you all done to get such preferential treatment from me?  Don't get used to it!  I promise to be wordier next time.

1.  My Goodreads friend (and tennis buddy), Pat, sent me a link to an article that his friend, Marsha Enright, wrote about James Clavell.  Some of you may know that Shogun is in my top 3 all-time.  Plus, I read, and liked, all of his other books, too.  Marsha's article is a review of each of Clavell's books along with some background info on the author himself. Compelling stuff.

http://atlassociety.org/commentary/commentary-blog/4537-james-clavells-asian-adventures

2.  Here's a biggie - Amazon just opened its 1st brick and mortar bookstore yesterday.  It's in Seattle (which makes sense, since their headquarters are in Seattle).  But how they picked the books they put into the store is kind of interesting.

Amazon opening its first real bookstore — at U-Village

3.  Nicole Hughes, one of Kepler's main event planners, is moving out of the area in a couple of months.  So the store is posting a job vacancy for Nicole's position.  I can't seem to drag the link over here.  So google "kepler's jobs."  The 1st link that comes up is "Employment/Kepler's Books." Click on that, and it goes right to the job description.  Sorry for the 2-step.

MOVIE NEWS:  Did I mention that Me Before You is being made into a movie?  I think I did (but the memory is not stellar!).  Well, I just saw a date.  It's coming out next June!  And the 2 stars are (I probably already told you this, too) Sam Claflin (Hunger Games) and Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones).  Can't wait!  The last movie I saw that was based on a book that I had recently read was This Is Where I Leave You.  I loved the book and the movie.  Can Lightning strike twice?  We'll find out next June.

Another Good Recommendation from My Goodreads Friend, Melissa

Come Away with Me is a debut novel for Karma Brown.  It was recommended by Melissa, who is also the person that told me I needed to read Sarah Jio.  And you all know what I thought about Goodnight June (4+/4).  Is this a book to match that one?  No.  Is it even a 4/4?  No.  But it's still darn good.  Much of it was a 3.25.  But other parts were 3.5-4.0.  The final rating is a 3.5/4.  That makes it a strong recommendation.  In fact, I think I'll ask Stacy at Recycle Books to get me a couple of copies for my Sunday morning rec table.

Author Lori Nelson Spielman writes on the cover of Come Away with Me:  "Fans of Elizabeth Gilbert's EAT PRAY LOVE will flock to this novel."  Fortunately, that's not the case.  I wasn't a big fan of EPL.  It was okay, but this one is better.

I'll give you the synopsis this time.  Tegan, a 26-year old woman, who is pregnant, is driving to her in-laws house during the holidays in Chicago.  Her husband, Gabe, is at the wheel. They hit black ice and end up in an accident.  She not only loses the baby, but she also loses the ability to ever have children again (this is not a spoiler alert; it happens at the beginning of the book).  A number of months later, Gabe convinces Tegan that they should have an adventure.  They pull out a bottle filled with vacation destinations and pick 3 (ergo the comparison to EPL).  The idea, of course, is to get Tegan out of the place that has such bad memories.  Does this whet your appetite?

Brown is a very good writer.  And there are some really great moments.  There is a 10-page section a little over half-way through the book that I absolutely loved (i.e. that means I cried a lot).  And on page 316 out of 350 there is a GIANT SHOCK.  My mouth was hanging open I was so stunned.  In fact, it reminded me of a very popular movie from a few years back (16 years, to be exact).  If you read the book, email me (lloydrrussell@gmail.com) so that we can "talk" about which movie I was thinking of.

Brown does something that I really liked.  She went back and forth between the present and the past.  The difference from other books is that she doesn't go back in any particular chronological order.  It might be 2.5 years, or 2 days, or 8 years, or 3 weeks.  That keeps the reader engaged.

I also liked that there were references I could really relate to:

1.  The doctor smiles, "displaying two rows of quite straight but yellowing teeth."  My grandson, Ryan, had just told me the night before that I had yellow teeth.  Ouch.
2.  Gabe and Tegan go to Maui and take a ride to Hana, which is 4 hours away, on a very winding road.  Joni and I took that road to Hana.  And Joni got very carsick.
3.  At one point, when Tegan and Gabe are in Italy, Gabe says:  "You should never skip gelato while in Italy."  Back in September of 2011, Joni and I were in Italy.  And we had gelato every day, sometimes twice a day.
4.  A couple that Tegan and Gabe meet in Italy talk about celebrating the anniversary of their 1st date.  October 8 of this year was the 49th anniversary of my 1st date with Joni.  So we definitely celebrate.

In case I haven't been clear, you will enjoy this book.  In fact, it's worth it just for the GIANT SHOCK, if for no other reason - and there are many other reasons.

Another Review of a Local Author - and a Guest Review of Harper Lee's New/Old Book

Niki's Discovery, by Dick Yaeger, is the sequel to Niki's Touch, which I didn't read.  After meeting Dick, I asked him which book I should start with, and he suggested Niki's Discovery.  I can honestly say that it didn't feel like I missed anything by going straight to #2.  Let me give you an excerpt from the back of the book (John is Niki's husband):

"...Niki and John began a journey across two continents to find a master sorcerer who would teach the magic to destroy an alliance between a U.S. Congresswoman and Russian crime czar sworn to disgrace, maim, and kill them."

I like a book that combines some fantasy with the real world (like Hannah Jayne's Under Wraps, book 1 in the Underworld Detection Agency Chronicles).  There is definitely magic in this book - some good and, of course, some bad.  But you still have suspense and an intriguing storyline.  There were some chuckles, some tears, and even an "Oh, ho, yes!"

There may be a lot of magic in the book, but that doesn't mean it's not also well-written, cuz it is.  So:
"There was a sensation she was in her thirties and forties, but her make-up free face was unblemished without a wrinkle, freckle or mole-it was as if it had been airbrushed."

There was even one passage that described me (not that it's just about me - or is it?):  "Sam pushed his chair away from the table slightly, tipped it back on the rear two legs, and put his hands behind his head."  I do that everywhere we go, and it drives Joni crazy.

But enough about me (or is it?).  Niki's Discovery is a fun read.

GUEST REVIEW:  My buddy, Ken, read Harper Lee's latest/1st book, Go Set A Watchman.  Here's his review:

I don't think I'm telling any tales out of school that "Go Set a Watchmen" by Harper Lee was her first effort and a weak one at that.  She was asked by her publisher to change this, rewrite that, alter the plot etc.  The revision was "To Kill a Mockingbird."  I would give this graciously 1/4 (using your scale Lloyd).  I found this book to be long and dreary.  The plot drags on, the characters are forgettable, and the ending is an insult to anyone with an IQ higher then their shoe size.  If you choose to read this, you will see why it was abandoned. And that the publication is merely a marketing effort to extract money from the reading public.  

Another Good Book - But It Could Have Been Better

J. Ryan Stradal's Kitchens of the Great Midwest is getting a lot of pub.  And I understand why.  It's a very good book.  But what started out as a 3.5/4 through the first 5 chapters (of 8) ended up slowing down a bit, especially in chapters 6 and 7.  Chapter 8 picks up again. What happened?  I'll try to explain.

Instead of giving you the Goodreads synopsis, let me quote one small section of the book flap's description:  "This is a novel about one girl's extraordinary farm-to-table success story, about mothers and daughters, how food becomes the common language of our lives, and the bittersweet nature of life itself-its missed opportunities and its joyful surprises."

Being in the food service business myself, and living in the Bay Area, which is the area that started many major food trends - from California Cuisine (with Alice Waters) to sustainable fish to vegetarian to vegan to gluten-free, and on and on - and just flat-out loving all-types of food, it was certainly fun to read a book about one girl's transformation from a shaky childhood to world-class chef.  Along the way we get to see recipes from many of the foods that appear in the book.  I've seen that in a couple of books that I've read (their names escape me at the moment, like so many other pieces of trivia!).  It's a fun add-on.

But I digress.  What changed in chapters 6 and 7?  Well, it really comes down to the connection with the main character, Eva.  The 1st 5 chapters all either focused directly on Eva or on characters who interacted with Eva.  6 and 7 got away from that.  Do those newbies ultimately end up interacting with Eva?  Perhaps.  But, for me, it was too little, too late.

This is still a good, well-written book.  And I gave it a 3.25/4.  That's a very good rating. And I definitely recommend the book.  But my problem is that it started out so strong that I hate to see it lose steam.  At least the last chapter got back to what made the 1st 5 chapters so appealing.  This is in direct contrast to The Monsters of Templeton (review 10/9/15), which started out very strong (3.5), sagged in the middle (down to a 3.25), and then plummeted at the end (final 2.75).  I will be doing a post in the near future about the 5 different ways a book can progress from beginning to end, with examples.  Here are the categories:

Starts fast, stays fast
Starts fast, slows down
Starts slow, stays slow
Starts slow, speeds up
Hybrid (what's that?)

Do You Want to Read More? Gretchen Rubin Tells Us How

Gretchen Rubin is a #1 bestselling author.  She writes about "experiments in the pursuit of happiness and good habits."  In this post, she gives us tips on how to get more reading in.  Here they are:

1. Quit reading. I used to pride myself on finishing every book I started. No more. Life is short. There are too many wonderful books to read.

2. Read books you enjoy. When I’m reading a book I love—for example, I’m now reading Charles Portis’s True Grit — I’m astonished by how much time I find to read. Which is another reason to stop reading a book I don’t enjoy.

3. Watch recorded TV. It’s much more efficient to watch recorded shows, because you skip the commercials and control when you watch. Then you have more time to read.

4. Skim. Especially when reading newspapers and magazines, often I get as much from skimming as I do by a leisurely reading. I have to remind myself to skim, but when I do, I get through material much faster.

5. Get calm. I have a sticky note posted in our bedroom that says, “Quiet mind.” It’s sometimes hard for me to settle down with a book; I keep wanting to jump up and take care of some nagging task. But that’s no way to read. Incidentally, one of the main reasons I exercise is to help me sit still for reading and writing — if I don’t exercise, I’m too jumpy.

6. Don’t fight my inclinations. Sometimes I feel like I should be reading one book when I actually feel like reading something entirely different. Now I let myself read what I want, because otherwise I end up reading much less.

7. Always have something to read. Never go anywhere empty-handed. I almost always read actual ye olde print books, but I travel with e-books, too, so I know I’ll never be caught without something to read. It’s a great comfort.

8. Maintain a big stack. I find that I read much more when I have a pile waiting for me. Right now, I have to admit, my stack is so big that it’s a bit alarming, but I’ll get it down to a more reasonable size before too long.

9. Choose my own books. Books make wonderful gifts – both to receive and to give – but I try not to let myself feel pressured to read a book just because someone has given it to me. I always give a gift book a try, but I no longer keep reading if I don’t want to.

10. Set aside time to read taxing books. For Better Than Before, my book about habit-formation, I tried a new reading habit, “Study.” Every weekend, I spend time in “study” reading — which covers books that I find fascinating, but that are demanding, and that I might put down and neglect to pick up again. The kind of book that I really do want to read, but somehow keep putting off for months, even years. Right now, my Study book is E. H. Gombrich’s Art and Illusion: a Study in the Psychology of Pictorial Representation.

And finally, some tips from great writers and readers:

11. Randall Jarrell: “Read at whim! Read at whim!”

12. Henry David Thoreau: “Read the best books first, otherwise you’ll find you do not have time.”

13. Samuel Johnson: “What we read with inclination makes a much stronger impression. If we read without inclination, half the mind is employed in fixing the attention; so there is but one half to be employed on what we read.”

For more insights from Gretchen, go to her website:  gretchenrubin.com.