Top Ten Tuesday | The Broke and the Bookish

Check out how Top Ten Tuesday works & the future schedule of topics HERE.

 

This week’s Top Ten Tuesday topic is a freebie…meaning YOU pick whatever topic your heart desires! Did you miss a topic you wanted to participate in or have a really specific topic that will probably never be a general Top Ten Tuesday topic? This week is for YOU!

1. Lee Strobel’s The Case for Christ: A Journalist’s Personal Investigation of the Evidence for Jesus
2. Julie Powell’s Julie & Julia : 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen
3. Jeffrey Eugenides’  The Marriage Plot
4. Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina
5. Isak Dineson’s Out of Africa
6. George Orwell’s Animal Farm
7. The Bible
8. Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey
9. Alexandre Dumas’ The Three Musketeers
10. Richard Blackaby’s Putting a Face on Grace: Living a Life Worth Passing On

Greetings from Don!

 What’s the best thing you’ve read in the past year?

I’m currently reading Blood Meridian, which has me absolutely mesmerized.  Blood Meridian integrates language and theme as well as any book I’ve ever read.  Also, for a story in which blood and gore are prime constituents, it’s never excessive or gratuitous.  Equally remarkable is that McCarthy puts the lie to the notion that a story needs a sympathetic character – Blood Meridian doesn’t have one. 

 I could go on an extended screed about this book, but I’ll give you the short version:  this books posits, among other things, that mankind will design and implement its own demise.  We don’t need to worry about something like global warming – we’ll tend to the task ourselves just fine.  I don’t fully subscribe to this, but I will say that I don’t believe men can exist in a state of noble savagery. 

It’s not only the best thing I’ve read this year, it’s also the best thing I’ve read in recent memory.  Perhaps a Moby Dick for our time? 

Don ponders his quirks

Do you have any quirks when it comes to reading?

One is likely common among all readers:  obsessing over a piece of text that I didn’t get the first or second time around.  Another is misplacing my reading glasses, if you can call that a quirk.  I can’t read a billboard without them.

 

Now he knows!

I don’t own a special pair of reading slippers of anything.  Maybe I should take up reading in a Snuggie, which I DO own and endorse heartily.

What’s on your bookshelf or in your book bag?

Loads of stuff on my Kindle:  Wuthering Heights (which I put down in favor of Blood Meridian),  Don Quixote, Ulyssess… these are the titles that spring to mind immediately.  There are plenty of others.  Oh yes!  Moby Dick! 

Who supplies your reading material?

As for recommendations, I get them from friends or critics, and I take the pronouncements of the latter with a big grain of salt.  In terms of where I get my books, the usual:  Amazon, Half Price, those sorts of places.  Unfortunately, Houston, it seems (and correct me if I’m wrong), doesn’t have much of a reading culture, so there aren’t many independent book stores, with the exception of Brazos Books, which really is a great place. 

 

Don shares his favorite reading.

 

What type of reading do you usually enjoy?

Ho boy… this is the question that’s going to land me in hot water…

Without trying to sound like a pompous nitwit, I do consider myself a discerning reader.  I don’t devour everything I can get my hands on.  My reasons are simple.  First, I expect to get something out of any given book, something of lasting value.  Second, life’s too short to read lousy books.  More than any art form, books require tremendous expenditures of one’s time and energy.  A worthwhile book typically places great demands on its readers – they don’t reveal themselves readily, which, of course, is part of their appeal.  I can say that two authors whose works I’ll likely never read are Ayn Rand’s and Dave Eggers’. 

 Having said all that, I also read a lot of cookbooks, and sports, music, and artist biographies/histories/criticisms.  I’ve also read my fair share of Mad Magazine. 

Who are some authors that you read regardless of anything?

At one time, there were certain authors I fixated on to the exclusion of most others:  Kafka, Dostoyevsky, Nietzsche, Joyce.  Not so much anymore.

What’s on your TBR (to be read) list?

Don Quixote (I staggered through a quarter of it before putting it down), Ulysses, which I’ve attempted too many times to count now, Finnegan’s Wake, The Bible in greater depth,…

Can you recall a book that changed your life? How so?

Sure.  I was going through a real rough patch in my mid-to-late twenties when I read Thus Spake Zarathustra by Nietzsche, whose name I always have to look up to spell.  To make it easy on myself, I usually just call him Freddy Neato.  Really, Nietzsche calls us to our higher selves, ultimately.  That book helped to lift me out of a profound funk, and to set me on a path of self-discovery that is ongoing.  I’d call that a book of lasting value.

What was something you enjoyed reading as a child?

I have to confess something here:  I read precious little growing up after fifth grade or so.  Why this is, I don’t know.  However, language has always been important to me, even at that age.  I don’t understand the origins of its fascination for me, but it is what it is.  I enjoyed word games, for example, and I was a good writer, notwithstanding that I read very little aside from Hit Parader magazine.  I did watch a lot of comedy on HBO, too.  Maybe that’s part of it.  I’m not sure.

It wasn’t until I was a sophomore in college that I started to get it.  I have a brilliant English instructor to thank for that.  Thank you, Mrs. Moeller!

 

Don shares where he likes to read.

Where do you like to read?

I get a lot of reading done on the bus and at work.  It seems like I have to be away from the house to get any reading done because I’ll distract myself with something else.  I think I just need to get out more.

 

Other than reading, what do you like doing?

I enjoy cooking, writing once in a while, playing tennis (although I haven’t played in a long time), hanging out with family and friends, taking pictures of weird things, strange noisy devices, and making music, which, and I make no bones about it, I would like to do as a career.

 Where can we find you online?

Several places:

• https://www.facebook.com/dbmayne
• https://www.facebook.com/pages/Happy-Endings/225862147426395 (my main music project)
• http://www.yelp.com/user_details?userid=uEPvIV1IF7jqnFHDGHWHOw (random reviews)
• http://shiftlesschef.blogspot.com/ (my food blog which sorely needs updating)

 Would you like to make a shout out to any other avid readers that are online?

My lovely wife Mercedes, an avid reader herself; my friends Mike, Eric, and Shawn; finally, several teachers:  Mrs. Harrison, my kindergarten teacher, who gave me a pile of books when I told her that no one would play with me (I sat in the dirt with that pile of books and looked at the pictures), Mrs. Ellen Brumback, the aforementioned Mrs. Moeller, and Dr. Rafael Saumell, a dear friend.

And gee whiz, my mom and dad!  How could forget my mom and dad!?  My mom would take me to the post office once a month to pick up my Dr. Seuss books, and it was a treat every time.  Mom and dad also spent a lot of money ordering books for me from Scholastic.  I have to say that they really were a source of encouragement, although I didn’t appreciate that until much later. 

How about sharing five random facts about you?

I’m always at pains trying to come up with things like this.  I could name favorite foods, but everyone does that.  I’m counting all this as the first random fact.

I hate yardwork.  It’s not relaxing, and I don’t feel like I’m in communion with nature while I’m doing it.  If anyone knows an enterprising youngster who wants to make some walkaround money, please contact me.

Lately I misplace things, which worries me somewhat.  I’ve misplaced shoes, for Pete’s sake, and a copy of Blood Meridian during our last move.  it’s gotta be around here somewhere, I keep saying, but it hasn’t turned up yet.

I’m double-jointed.  It makes for a fine party trick that’s guaranteed to clear the room of all but the other double-jointed people.

 

My favorite food is meat.

What’s the best thing you’ve read in the past year?

I’m currently reading Blood Meridian, which has me absolutely mesmerized.  Blood Meridian integrates language and theme as well as any book I’ve ever read.  Also, for a story in which blood and gore are prime constituents, it’s never excessive or gratuitive.  Equally remarkable is that McCarthy puts the lie to the notion that a story needs a sympathetic character – Blood Meridian doesn’t have one. 

I could go on an extended screed about this book, but I’ll give you the short version:  this books posits, among other things, that mankind will design and implement its own demise.  We don’t need to worry about something like global warming – we’ll tend to the task ourselves just fine.  I don’t fully subscribe to this, but I will say that I don’t believe men can exist in a state of noble savagery. 

It’s not only the best thing I’ve read this year, it’s also the best thing I’ve read in recent memory.  Perhaps a Moby Dick for our time? 

Do you have any quirks when it comes to reading?

One is likely common among all readers:  obsessing over a piece of text that I didn’t get the first or second time around.  Another is misplacing my reading glasses, if you can call that a quirk.  I can’t read a billboard without them.

I don’t own a special pair of reading slippers of anything.  Maybe I should take up reading in a Snuggie, which I DO own and endorse heartily.

What’s on your bookshelf or in your book bag?

Loads of stuff on my Kindle:  Wuthering Heights (which I put down in favor of Blood Meridian),  Don Quixote, Ulyssess… these are the titles that spring to mind immediately.  There are plenty of others.  Oh yes!  Moby Dick! 

Who supplies your reading material?

As for recommendations, I get them from friends or critics, and I take the pronouncements of the latter with a big grain of salt.  In terms of where I get my books, the usual:  Amazon, Half Price, those sorts of places.  Unfortunately, Houston, it seems (and correct me if I’m wrong), doesn’t have much of a reading culture, so there aren’t many independent book stores, with the exception of Brazos Books, which really is a great place. 

What type of reading do you usually enjoy?

Ho boy… this is the question that’s going to land me in hot water…

Without trying to sound like a pompous nitwit, I do consider myself a discerning reader.  I don’t devour everything I can get my hands on.  My reasons are simple.  First, I expect to get something out of any given book, something of lasting value.  Second, life’s too short to read lousy books.  More than any art form, books require tremendous expenditures of one’s time and energy.  A worthwhile book typically places great demands on its readers – they don’t reveal themselves readily, which, of course, is part of their appeal.  I can say that two authors whose works I’ll likely never read are Ayn Rand’s and Dave Eggers’. 

Having said all that, I also read a lot of cookbooks, and sports, music, and artist biographies/histories/criticisms.  I’ve also read my fair share of Mad Magazine. 

Who are some authors that you read regardless of anything?

At one time, there were certain authors I fixated on to the exclusion of most others:  Kafka, Dostoyevsky, Nietzsche, Joyce.  Not so much anymore.

What’s on your TBR (to be read) list?

Don Quixote (I staggered through a quarter of it before putting it down), Ulysses, which I’ve attempted too many times to count now, Finnegan’s Wake, The Bible in greater depth,…

Can you recall a book that changed your life? How so?

Sure.  I was going through a real rough patch in my mid-to-late twenties when I read Thus Spake Zarathustra by Nietzsche, whose name I always have to look up to spell.  To make it easy on myself, I usually just call him Freddy Neato.  Really, Nietzsche calls us to our higher selves, ultimately.  That book helped to lift me out of a profound funk, and to set me on a path of self-discovery that is ongoing.  I’d call that a book of lasting value.

What was something you enjoyed reading as a child?

I have to confess something here:  I read precious little growing up after fifth grade or so.  Why this is, I don’t know.  However, language has always been important to me, even at that age.  I don’t understand the origins of its fascination for me, but it is what it is.  I enjoyed word games, for example, and I was a good writer, notwithstanding that I read very little aside from Hit Parader magazine.  I did watch a lot of comedy on HBO, too.  Maybe that’s part of it.  I’m not sure.

It wasn’t until I was a sophomore in college that I started to get it.  I have a brilliant English instructor to thank for that.  Thank you, Mrs. Moeller!

Where do you like to read?

I get a lot of reading done on the bus and at work.  It seems like I have to be away from the house to get any reading done because I’ll distract myself with something else.  I think I just need to get out more.

Other than reading, what do you like doing?

I enjoy cooking, writing once in a while, playing tennis (although I haven’t played in a long time), hanging out with family and friends, taking pictures of weird things, strange noisy devices, and making music, which, and I make no bones about it, I would like to do as a career.

Where can we find you online?

Several places:

• https://www.facebook.com/dbmayne
• https://www.facebook.com/pages/Happy-Endings/225862147426395 (my main music project)
• http://www.yelp.com/user_details?userid=uEPvIV1IF7jqnFHDGHWHOw (random reviews)
• http://shiftlesschef.blogspot.com/ (my food blog which sorely needs updating)

Would you like to make a shout out to any other avid readers that are online?

My lovely wife Mercedes, an avid reader herself; my friends Mike, Eric, and Shawn; finally, several teachers:  Mrs. Harrison, my kindergarten teacher, who gave me a pile of books when I told her that no one would play with me (I sat in the dirt with that pile of books and looked at the pictures), Mrs. Ellen Brumback, the aforementioned Mrs. Moeller, and Dr. Rafael Saumell, a dear friend.

And gee whiz, my mom and dad!  How could forget my mom and dad!?  My mom would take me to the post office once a month to pick up my Dr. Seuss books, and it was a treat every time.  Mom and dad also spent a lot of money ordering books for me from Scholastic.  I have to say that they really were a source of encouragement, although I didn’t appreciate that until much later. 

How about sharing five random facts about you?

I’m always at pains trying to come up with things like this.  I could name favorite foods, but everyone does that.  I’m counting all this as the first random fact.

I hate yardwork.  It’s not relaxing, and I don’t feel like I’m in communion with nature while I’m doing it.  If anyone knows an enterprising youngster who wants to make some walkaround money, please contact me.

Lately I misplace things, which worries me somewhat.  I’ve misplaced shoes, for Pete’s sake, and a copy of Blood Meridian during our last move.  it’s gotta be around here somewhere, I keep saying, but it hasn’t turned up yet.

I’m double-jointed.  It makes for a fine party trick that’s guaranteed to clear the room of all but the other double-jointed people.

He's double-jointed!

My favorite food is meat.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Artwork by Faith Ringgold.

Google Doodle Martin Luther King, Jr. Day – YouTube

Pride – U2 – Martin Luther King

Princess Ashley by Richard Peck | LibraryThing

Peck, R. (1988). Princess Ashley. New York: Dell. 9780440202066

Reasons for Reading : I remember reading this book in junior high. When I decided I wanted to look at Princess Ashley again, I realized that I would have to request it through Inter-library Loan (ILL).

Summary: Chelsea Olinger begins high school in a new town. She plan to blend in with the wallpaper. Chelsea remains true to this plan until she glimpses Ashley Packard, queen bee of the sophomore class. Shortly, Ashley handpicks Chelsea as a member of her clique. Chelsea can’t believe her luck and ignores the words of wisdom of her mother and devoted friend Pod Johnson regarding Ashley’s true character.

Review : Normally, I don’t care much for male writers telling a female’s story in first person narrative. Yet, I think Peck overcame this pretty well. I appreciated Peck’s description of fads and trends as well. These characters stand out for the familiarity.

Four Out of Five Pearls

Song: Mean Gurl by Gina Rene and Gabriel Rene – YouTube

Setting : I’m guessing somewhere in the Southwest USA.

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• Book Review: Princess Ashley « The Englishist
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• Princess Ashley | Teen Book Review | Teen Ink

Lethal by Sandra Brown | LibraryThing

Brown, S., Slezak, V., & Hachette Audio (Firm). (2011). Lethal. New York: Hachette Audio. 9781609419172

Reasons for Reading : Since I’ve gotten back into the habit of reading Sandra Brown books, I requested her latest through HCPL. I read both the hardcover and audiobook version of Lethal.

Summary : Widow Honor Gillette lives with her four year old daughter, Emily, on a remote property outside a small Louisiana town. When Emily tells Honor there’s a sick man in their yard, Honor goes out to offer aid to the ill man, she discovers Lee Coburn. Coburn is on the run under the suspicion of killing seven people the previous night. He swears to Honor that she and Emily will not be hurt provided that Honor does as Coburn tells her. Beyond this point, Honor questions the trustworthiness of all in her life.

Review : Before I delve into the negatives, let me mention a few things I truly appreciated in this book. 1) Brown notes at the end of the novel that much of the action involved cell phones. I enjoyed what she expressed about this and since it’s post-novel, I’m not saying anymore. 2) Not always, but often, Brown spoke of her characters “cursing profusely” (Brown, 2011) rather than reveal what choice words characters employed. 3) Brown shines when it comes to dialogue. I believe she has an ear for it.

However, this wasn’t my favorite Sandra Brown book. She had some really nasty characters in Lethal. Also, I found some of the answers to the mysteries with rather unlikely. Lastly, the following comment isn’t about Brown but rather about the narrator. This guy didn’t read the female dialogue in falsetto but I dreaded each time little Emily spoke. He shouldn’t ever do child voices.  

Three Out of Five Pearls

Song : Creedence Clearwater Revival – Born On The Bayou – YouTube

Setting  : Louisiana

You might also like:

• Smoke Screen by Sandra Brown
• Sweet Revenge by Nora Roberts
• Open Season by Linda Howard
• Kill and Tell by Linda Howard
• Still Waters by Tami Hoag
  

• “Lethal” by Sandra Brown: A Review – YouTube
• Bea’s Book Nook: Review of “Lethal” by Sandra Brown
• Review of “Lethal” by Sandra Brown « Rhapsody in Books Weblog

Here’s an excerpt:

A New York City subway train holds 1,200 people. This blog was viewed about 6,800 times in 2011. If it were a NYC subway train, it would take about 6 trips to carry that many people.

Click here to see the complete report.

The Lincoln Lawyer | Front Row Reviews

Connelly, M., & Grupper, A. (2005). The Lincoln lawyer. New York: Time Warner AudioBooks. 9781594830884

Connelly, M., & Giles, P. (2008). The brass verdict. New York: Hachette Audio. 9781600244018

Connelly, M., Giles, P., & Connelly, M. (2010). The reversal. New York: Hachette Audio. 9781600247255

Connelly, M., & Giles, P. (2011). The fifth witness. New York: Hachette Audio. 9781600247224

Reasons for Reading On my way home from England, I saw bits and pieces of Brad Furman’s The Lincoln Lawyer starring Matthew McConaughey. I enjoyed what I saw enough to request the audiobook via HCPL, I have since read all of the Mickey Haller series – thus far.

Summary These books are told by attorney Michael “Mickey” Haller, a street-wise defense attorney who practices law from the backseat of a Lincoln Town Car. Haller offers his services to the greater Los Angeles area, meeting clients wherever they may be. He’s on speaking terms with both of his ex-wives and aims to be a better father to his daughter Hayley. The series highlights Haller’s more unusual and that is true in the first book – The Lincoln Lawyer. Throughout the series, Haller faces his growing discomfort with representing the truly guilty.  

Review I really like the Mickey Haller/Lincoln Lawyer Mysteries by Michael Connelly.  While I may not always care for Haller, he seems realistic and he describes much of what goes on in trials in layman’s terms.I haven’t read of the Harry Bosch books that Connelly writes but I’m currently reading Nine Dragons where Haller makes a small appearance. So far, I liked The Reversal the best as there isn’t just one reversal at play in this book.

Four Out of Five Pearls

Song: ‪2Pac – California Love [HD] – YouTube

Setting :  Los Angeles, mostly

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• The Feast of the Goat by Mario Vargas Llosa
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• The Brazen Bookworm: Audiobook Review: The Lincoln Lawyer series by Michael Connelly
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• MichaelConnelly.com | Multimedia