Monday, October 31, 2016

Mailbox Monday: Babe in the Woods by Yvonne Wakefield

What books came into your house last week? One fun new book arrived in my mailbox:



Babe in the Woods: Building a Life One Log at a Time by Yvonne Wakefield. This new memoir kicks off an upcoming trilogy, starting here with the story of how Wakefield build a log cabin be herself, for herself when she was 18.

PUBLISHER'S DESCRIPTION

At age eighteen, in 1974, Yvonne sets out to build a home from trees on eighty acres she’s bought on an Oregon mountainside. Log by log she creates a cabin and heals from an orphaned past, finding a new family in the forest and with people in a valley named John Day. This true story of one woman’s survival in the wilderness puts an honest and gritty face on the fantasy of living alone in the forest. Readers of My Side of the Mountain and Wild—and fans of Pilgrim at Tinker Creek and Walden alike—will eagerly follow along on the journey through this candid, revealing account. Babe in the Woods includes original artwork and ledgers, further authenticating the construction of this three-story log cabin built by hand from trees on land Yvonne still owns today. It is the first in a three-book series about her relationship with woodsy things in a place of risk and isolation but also peace, quiet beauty, and repose.


Thanks for joining me for Mailbox Monday, a weekly "show & tell" blog event where participants share the books they acquired the week before. Visit the Mailbox Monday website to find links to all the participants' posts and read more about Books that Caught our Eye.

Mailbox Monday is graciously hosted by Leslie of Under My Apple Tree, Serena of Savvy Verse & Wit, and Vicki of I'd Rather Be at the Beach.



Thursday, October 27, 2016

Book Beginning: Fill the Sky by Katherine Sherbrooke



THANKS FOR JOINING ME ON FRIDAYS FOR BOOK BEGINNING FUN!

Please join me every Friday to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. Please remember to include the title of the book and the author’s name.

EARLY BIRDS & SLOWPOKES: This weekly post goes up Thursday evening for those who like to get their posts up and linked early on. But feel free to add a link all week.

FACEBOOK: Rose City Reader has a Facebook page where I post about new and favorite books, book events, and other bookish tidbits, as well as link to blog posts. I'd love a "Like" on the page! You can go to the page here to Like it. I am happy to Like you back if you have a blog or professional Facebook page, so please leave a comment with a link and I will find you.

TWITTER, ETC: If you are on Twitter, Google+, or other social media, please post using the hash tag #BookBeginnings. I try to follow all Book  Beginnings participants on whatever interweb sites you are on, so please let me know if I have missed any and I will catch up.

TIE IN: The Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice is a natural tie in with this event and there is a lot of cross over, so many people combine the two. The idea is to post a teaser from page 56 of the book you are reading and share a link to your post. Find details and the Linky for your Friday 56 post on Freda’s Voice.

YOUR BOOK BEGINNING



MY BOOK BEGINNING



Tess hung up the phone and fought against an overwhelming sense of powerlessness. She wasn't willing to accept her inability to help, to do something.

Fill the Sky by Katherine Sherbrooke. Tess is in turmoil because her friend is diagnosed with cancer and wants to go to Ecuador to seek treatment from traditional healers.

Fill the Sky came out last week and has received a great deal of attention.

Tuesday, October 25, 2016

Teaser Tuesday: City of Weird



They're at the bottom, inspecting Aisha's body. They're definitely not human.

-- from "Alder Underground" by Jonah Barrett in City of Weird: 30 Otherworldly Portland Tales, Edited by Gigi Little, published by Forest Avenue Press.

Set in Portland, Oregon, the 30 stories in City of Weird explores the dark, scary, funny side of America's favorite eccentric city. So of course there has to be a zombie story!



Teaser Tuesdays is hosted by MizB at Books and a Beat, where you can find the official rules for this weekly event.

Monday, October 24, 2016

Mailbox Monday: Fill the Sky by Katherine Sherbrooke

What books came into your house last week? I got a new novel that looks terrific!



Fill the Sky by Katherine Sherbrooke. It's the story of three women who travel to Ecuador, hoping to find cancer treatment for one, but all must face deep truths about themselves and their friendship. It has Book Club writ large all over it.

Fill the Sky releases this week, on October 20, and has already generated a lot of buzz from the likes of Anita Shreve and others.




Thanks for joining me for Mailbox Monday, a weekly "show & tell" blog event where participants share the books they acquired the week before. Visit the Mailbox Monday website to find links to all the participants' posts and read more about Books that Caught our Eye.

Mailbox Monday is graciously hosted by Leslie of Under My Apple Tree, Serena of Savvy Verse & Wit, and Vicki of I'd Rather Be at the Beach.

Thursday, October 20, 2016

Book Beginning: City of Weird



THANKS FOR JOINING ME ON FRIDAYS FOR BOOK BEGINNING FUN!

Please join me every Friday to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. Please remember to include the title of the book and the author’s name.

EARLY BIRDS & SLOWPOKES: This weekly post goes up Thursday evening for those who like to get their posts up and linked early on. But feel free to add a link all week.

FACEBOOK: Rose City Reader has a Facebook page where I post about new and favorite books, book events, and other bookish tidbits, as well as link to blog posts. I'd love a "Like" on the page! You can go to the page here to Like it. I am happy to Like you back if you have a blog or professional Facebook page, so please leave a comment with a link and I will find you.

TWITTER, ETC: If you are on Twitter, Google+, or other social media, please post using the hash tag #BookBeginnings. I try to follow all Book  Beginnings participants on whatever interweb sites you are on, so please let me know if I have missed any and I will catch up.

TIE IN: The Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice is a natural tie in with this event and there is a lot of cross over, so many people combine the two. The idea is to post a teaser from page 56 of the book you are reading and share a link to your post. Find details and the Linky for your Friday 56 post on Freda’s Voice.

YOUR BOOK BEGINNING



MY BOOK BEGINNING



There was this one time I sold my soul to the devil.

-- from the Editor's Foreword to City of Weird: 30 Otherworldly Portland Tales, Edited by Gigi Little, published by Forest Avenue Press.

City of Weird is a collection of 30 imaginative stories honoring Portland's dark, creepy, funny, weirdness, from the gothic to the sublime. Perfect for this cold and drippy Halloween season!

Monday, October 17, 2016

Mailbox Monday

What books came into your house last week? Three fun new releases came to my house:



City of Weird: 30 Otherworldly Portland Tales, Edited by Gigi Little, published by Forest Avenue Press. Perfect for this Halloween season!



The Hot Climate of Promise and Grace by Steven Nightingale. A collection of 64 very short stories published by Counterpoint Press.



Through a Green Lens: Fifty Years of Writing for Nature by Robert Michael Pyle, published by OSU Press.



Thanks for joining me for Mailbox Monday, a weekly "show & tell" blog event where participants share the books they acquired the week before. Visit the Mailbox Monday website to find links to all the participants' posts and read more about Books that Caught our Eye.

Mailbox Monday is graciously hosted by Leslie of Under My Apple Tree, Serena of Savvy Verse & Wit, and Vicki of I'd Rather Be at the Beach.



Thursday, October 13, 2016

Book Beginning: Bloody Marys: Sanguine Solutions for a Slew of Situations by Judy Bennett



THANKS FOR JOINING ME ON FRIDAYS FOR BOOK BEGINNING FUN!

Please join me every Friday to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. Please remember to include the title of the book and the author’s name.

EARLY BIRDS & SLOWPOKES: This weekly post goes up Thursday evening for those who like to get their posts up and linked early on. But feel free to add a link all week.

FACEBOOK: Rose City Reader has a Facebook page where I post about new and favorite books, book events, and other bookish tidbits, as well as link to blog posts. I'd love a "Like" on the page! You can go to the page here to Like it. I am happy to Like you back if you have a blog or professional Facebook page, so please leave a comment with a link and I will find you.

TWITTER, ETC: If you are on Twitter, Google+, or other social media, please post using the hash tag #BookBeginnings. I try to follow all Book  Beginnings participants on whatever interweb sites you are on, so please let me know if I have missed any and I will catch up.

TIE IN: The Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice is a natural tie in with this event and there is a lot of cross over, so many people combine the two. The idea is to post a teaser from page 56 of the book you are reading and share a link to your post. Find details and the Linky for your Friday 56 post on Freda’s Voice.

YOUR BOOK BEGINNING



MY BOOK BEGINNING




After a couple Bloody Marys, you're almost cute.
-- Bloody Marys: Sanguine Solutions for a Slew of Situations by Judy Bennett. This is a very funny book, filled with reminiscences, girlfriendly advice, and recipes for every kind of Bloody Mary you can think of. It's a lot of fun.






Tuesday, October 11, 2016

Teaser Tuesday: The Drake Equation by Bart King



And at that moment the school shook again. Suddenly, I found myself on the floor as a series of groans and crashes came from up and down the hallway.
The Drake Equation by Bart King, author of the wildly popular nonfiction book, The Big Book of Boy Stuff.

The Drake Equation is King's first novel. With a middle school audience in mind, it's a funny science fiction adventure about Noah Grow, who  is drawn into galactic intrigue when he finds a mysterious disc while out pursuing his favorite hobby -- birdwatching.



Teaser Tuesdays is hosted by MizB at Books and a Beat, where you can find the official rules for this weekly event.

Monday, October 10, 2016

Mailbox Monday

What books came into your house last week? I got a memoir and a mystery:



A Monk Swimming by Malachy McCourt. This could bookend his brother Frank's memoir, Angela's Ashes.



A Banquet of Consequences, by Elizabeth George. This is her 19th Inspector Lynley novel. I've only read the first two and have many more on my TBR shelf, but wonder if I'll get to them all.



Thanks for joining me for Mailbox Monday, a weekly "show & tell" blog event where participants share the books they acquired the week before. Visit the Mailbox Monday website to find links to all the participants' posts and read more about Books that Caught our Eye.

Mailbox Monday is graciously hosted by Leslie of Under My Apple Tree, Serena of Savvy Verse & Wit, and Vicki of I'd Rather Be at the Beach.

Thursday, October 6, 2016

Book Beginning: The Drake Equation by Bart King



THANKS FOR JOINING ME ON FRIDAYS FOR BOOK BEGINNING FUN!

Please join me every Friday to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. Please remember to include the title of the book and the author’s name.

EARLY BIRDS & SLOWPOKES: This weekly post goes up Thursday evening for those who like to get their posts up and linked early on. But feel free to add a link all week.

FACEBOOK: Rose City Reader has a Facebook page where I post about new and favorite books, book events, and other bookish tidbits, as well as link to blog posts. I'd love a "Like" on the page! You can go to the page here to Like it. I am happy to Like you back if you have a blog or professional Facebook page, so please leave a comment with a link and I will find you.

TWITTER, ETC: If you are on Twitter, Google+, or other social media, please post using the hash tag #BookBeginnings. I try to follow all Book  Beginnings participants on whatever interweb sites you are on, so please let me know if I have missed any and I will catch up.

TIE IN: The Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice is a natural tie in with this event and there is a lot of cross over, so many people combine the two. The idea is to post a teaser from page 56 of the book you are reading and share a link to your post. Find details and the Linky for your Friday 56 post on Freda’s Voice.

YOUR BOOK BEGINNING



MY BOOK BEGINNING



Imagine it's the middle of the night.
And you're way out in the wilderness.

The Drake Equation by Bart King, author of the wildly popular nonfiction book, The Big Book of Boy Stuff.

The Drake Equation is a science fiction adventure story for middle schoolers about a young birdwatcher drawn into galactic intrigue when he finds a mysterious disc while out searching for a wood duck.

Wednesday, October 5, 2016

Book Review: A Week in Yellowstone's Thorofare



A Week in Yellowstone's Thorofare: A Journey Through the Remotest Place by Michael J. Yochim

In 2014, Yochim and two friends spent a week exploring the Thorofare, a remote region in Yellowstone National Park. That expedition, undertaken mostly by canoe because Yochim was in the early stages of ALS, became the backbone of his book. He also draws on the first-person accounts of the rangers who patrol the area, historical documents, and his earlier personal experiences working in Yellowstone and Yosemite.

Yochim argues for the need to preserve "wildness" in the wilderness and buttresses his argument by giving readers a glimpse into one of the Lower 48’s most remote, still wild areas. A Week in Yellowstone's Thorofare is a good choice for celebrating 100 years of our National Parks, learning more about Yellowstone in particular, or thinking more deeply about the importance of wilderness and wildness in nature.

There is no question that Yochim’s medical condition, which he addresses frankly, adds poignancy and melancholy to the story. He shares a part of the country he loves with readers who will probably never see it for themselves, knowing he will never see it again.

NOTES

A Week in Yellowstone's Thorofare is published by OSU Press.

OTHER REVIEWS

Forward Reviews

National Parks Traveler






Tuesday, October 4, 2016

Teaser Tuesday: The Honor Was Mine by Elizabeth Heaney



It occurred to to me that few civilians knew what it might be like to manage the intricacies of a marriage and a family while on their own for a year. These spouses weren't simply separated; they were separated while one of them faced life-threatening situations, every day, far across the world.

The Honor Was Mine: A Look Inside the Struggle of Military Veterans by Elizabeth Heaney. Heaney left her private therapy practice to work with returning war vets and their families.

Her new book, The Honor Was Mine, tells the story of her experience and gives voice to their stories.


Teaser Tuesdays is hosted by MizB at Books and a Beat, where you can find the official rules for this weekly event.

Monday, October 3, 2016

Mailbox Monday

What books came into your house last week? Four books made their way into my house:



Coco Chanel: An Illustrated Biography (Library of Luminaries) by Zena Alkayat (Author) and Nina Cosford (Illustrator), published by Chronicle Books. Très belle! Très chic!



Bloody Marys: Sanguine Solutions for a Slew of Situations by Judy Bennett. Recipes and hilarity.



Where the Wind Dreams of Staying:Searching for Purpose and Place in the West by Eric Dieterle. A new memoir, published by OSU Press.



The Jewish Oregon Story, 1950-2010 by Ellen Eisenberg, also published by OSU Press.



Thanks for joining me for Mailbox Monday, a weekly "show & tell" blog event where participants share the books they acquired the week before. Visit the Mailbox Monday website to find links to all the participants' posts and read more about Books that Caught our Eye.

Mailbox Monday is graciously hosted by Leslie of Under My Apple Tree, Serena of Savvy Verse & Wit, and Vicki of I'd Rather Be at the Beach.

Saturday, October 1, 2016

Author Interview: Miriam Weinstein


Author Miriam Weinstein often focuses on parenting and grandparenting, helping readers get the most out of family life. In her new book, All Set For Black, Thanks: A New Look At Mourning, Miriam offers the friendly and forthright help, drawn from her own experience, needed in times of mourning and grief.


Miriam recently answered questions for Rose City Reader:

How did you come to write All Set for Black, Thanks?

I was blindsided by the sudden death of a good friend. Because I am a writer, I wrote about that for my writing group. As more friends died, the topic did not go away, and I continued to think about how we respond to death.

You’ve published a collection of essays about death and mourning that is really quite lighthearted, even funny. Why did you take this unconventional approach?

Actually, I don’t think it is lighthearted. Funny can coexist with sad. But I knew that this book would be unreadable if it was just turgid.

The title sets the tone for the book. Is there a story behind it or does it have a particular meaning for you?

The title essay was one of the early ones that I wrote. I was trying to understand our responses to grief and mourning, and the idea of being prepared sartorially seemed a good metaphor for being prepared emotionally. The title has the insouciant tone that I wanted to convey. Plus, I actually hate that phrase, “all set,” because it is such a cop out linguistically. It can mean anything from is your soup cold to do you have everything you need in life. So that made it fun for me.

Writers often follow the rule, “Write what you know.” How much in your essays are drawn from your own experiences?

Most of the essays are autobiographical, except for the ones that describe strange ritual practices. The essay about how we mourn celebrities helped me to understand how we respond to death in a public way.

Did you also learn something about yourself from writing these essays that you didn’t know before?

I realized how deeply I am still involved with people who died years ago.

What did you learn from writing your book – either about the subject of the book or the writing process – that most surprised you?

I learned, as I have learned again and again, that tone is critical; getting the voice right is at least as important as what you have to say.

Can you recommend any other books to help people facing death of family and friends or going through mourning?

I wish I could. I have found that, when I am really mourning, I am either looking for escape, or for something that feels comforting, which may not have anything at all to do with death. I find that this is a time for poetry, or for listening to the songs I loved as a young woman.

Who are your three (or four or five) favorite authors? Is your own writing influenced by the authors you read?

Nora Ephron, Barbara Pym, M.F.K. Fisher. And, like everyone else in the world, Jane Austen.

What kind of books do you like to read? What are you reading now?

I mostly read non-fiction, but I have been swept away by the Neapolitan novels of Elena Ferrante.

You have a terrific website and blog. From an author's perspective, how important is the internet to promote your book?

Thanks so much! The internet has changed everything. It is where we get our information, exchange tips, give and get advice.

Do you have any events coming up to promote your book?

Check out my website events page. At the moment, all of my events are in the northeast, or in Florida. I may make a trip out to the west coast later on.

What is the most valuable advice you’ve been given as an author?

If you’re not sitting in the chair and writing, your project is not going to get done. Or, even more simply, a writer writes.

What is the best thing about being a writer?

Getting to produce something unlike anything that existed before.

What’s next? Are you working on your next book?

I have been working on advice for parents from the point of view of a grandmother; working title: Grandma Has Seen It All, And She Suggests That You Avert Your Eyes.


THANKS, MIRIAM!

ALL SET FOR BLACK, THANKS! IS AVAILABLE ON LINE, OR ASK YOUR LOCAL BOOK SELLER TO ORDER IT!


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