Review in Miniature: Mister Owita's Guide to Gardening How I Learned the Unexpected Joy of a Green Thumb and an Open Heart by Carol Wall

Mister Owita's Guide to Gardening: How I Learned the Unexpected Joy of a Green Thumb and an Open Heart by Carol Wall is a memorable, uplifting, and thought provoking memoir about two people who form an unlikely friendship. If you are expecting a book about gardening then scratch this one off your list. The garden in this story is a symbolic metaphor for so much more. As People Magazine said, "...Owita teaches Wall how to find grace amid heartbreak and to accept that beauty exists because it is fleeting—as in her garden, as in life.” If you like memoirs this is a “must add” for your reading list.

I'd like to thank Penguin Group Putnam, who provided me with a reading copy through NetGalley.

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Review in Miniature: Stitches : a handbook on meaning, hope, and repair by Anne Lamott

Anne Lamott is an amazing voice in today’s writing world. She is able to capture what so many of us feel with just the right words. I’ve been a fan of her writing since reading Bird By Bird back in the 90s. I’ll also add that I am partial to her nonfiction writing, although her works of fiction are great too. So it was with great enthusiasm that I opened her latest work of nonfiction Stitches: a handbook on meaning, hope, and repair, which is out on the heels of her previous bestseller Help, Thanks, Wow. 

In Stitches Lamott explores how in these chaotic times in which we live we can recover from personal devastation and loss and find peace, meaning and wholeness in our lives. How does she suggest we do this, well in typical Lamott fashion, “..by collecting the ripped shreds of our emotional and spiritual fabric and sewing them back together, one stitch at a time.” This is classic Lamott! 

If you are familiar with Lamott’s previous works sit back and enjoy her prose. If you are new to Lamott this is a great choice to tryout the Lamott experience. 

Thank you Net Galley and Penguin Riverhead Hardcover for the advanced reader’s copy of Stitches: a handbook on meaning, hope, and repair by Anne Lamott.

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Review in Miniature: Mozart: A Life by Paul Johnson

My thirty plus year love affair with Mozart is in no uncertain terms insatiable. My quest to attend all of his operas and to hear as many of his other musical compositions performed live continues and my next step, as the world’s biggest Mozart fan, is to share my love of everything Mozart with my children, so when I realized that a new biography on Mozart was being published by Penguin Group: Viking I had to get my hands on a copy...pronto. I was not disappointed. Mozart: A Life by Paul Johnson is a great compliment to any Mozart aficionado's collection of biographies of this great composer.

Coming in at 176 pages this work of nonfiction does not overwhelm the new to Mozart biography reader or disappoint a reader who gobbles up everything Mozart. The book focuses on Mozart and his music. Specifically the biography focused on Mozart’s ability to write music, compose music for operas, and his ability to create emotional music that captured the hearts of the common man and royals alike. His was a life filled with financial debt, loss of children, and health problems. Many may be surprised to learn that he frequently had to beg for money from friends. Let me say that these were not uncommon problems for even upper class folks of Mozart’s day. but it is always surprising to me that he also had a tough time selling his compositions, which means a steady income for the Mozart family was a constant challenge. With all the ups and downs of Mozart’s life his talent never faded. 

Sadly he died too young at just thirty-five, but through his music he still lives in the hearts of all classical musical lovers everywhere. This book will definitely whet your appetite for more about this remarkable child prodigy. 

Thank you Net Galley and Penguin Group Viking for the advance reader’s copy of Mozart: A Life by Paul Johnson.

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Review in Miniature: Hello, Gorgeous: Becoming Barbra Streisand by William J. Mann

Here is a secret about me, movie trivia is my thing.  Not current stuff, I'm talking tidbits from the silent era to about 1970.  I often lament...If only I could cash in on my worthless movie knowledge.  Honest to goodness, I'm a savant when it comes to this topic, which brings me to my other secret love and that is reading autobiographies and biographies of actresses, actors, directors, producers, screenwriters...you get the idea, so I'd never pass up the opportunity to read about one of the greats: Barbra Streisand.

Having read oodles and oodles of this genre I can say without hesitation that this is a great read!  I stop here to add that this is not your typical biography.  It does not cover Streisand's entire career, but rather a crucial period of five years at the start:  1960-65.  Seventeen in 1960 we see just how one with the right mix of determination and talent makes it.  The only downside to the book is that Mann doesn't tell us the rest of the Streisand story.  If you enjoy peeking inside the world of movie icons then this is a must read.

Thank you Net Galley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for allowing me access to a review copy of  Hello, Gorgeous: Becoming Barbra Streisand by William J. Mann. 

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Review in Miniature: The Violinist's Thumb And Other Lost Tales of Love, War, and Genius, as Written by Our Genetic Code by Sam Kean

In recent years I have grown to love nonfiction. I didn't always. It has to do with the methodology/structural choices that modern-day nonfiction writers use to share their information. Here's what it boils down to...when the information unfolds like a story it makes it so enjoyable to read that I forget I’m reading nonfiction. Then couple that with the ability of the author to take a complicated idea and bring it down to a level that my non-sciency-self can understand and you have a great read. This is why Sam Kean’s books are so enjoyable to read.

I have to admit that it was the title that grabbed me on this one along with the reference to Paganini, the famous violinists. Interesting what will make one open a book. I certainly learned a great deal about what made Paganini more accomplished than other violinist, but the author didn't stop there. Kean takes the reader on a DNA ride of titanic proportions. He shares terms, anecdotal stories, and other science stuff a non-sciency person like myself never expected to enjoy. A big thanks to Mr. Kean for making science accessible and interesting.

If you want to know more about DNA, but were afraid the science was too complicated then grab a copy of The Violinist's Thumb and start reading!

Thank you Net Galley and Little, Brown and Company for the review copy of The Violinist's Thumb by Sam Kean.

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Top 10 Fiction Books for Nonfiction Addicts

Are you a fan of nonfiction?  Do you have trouble crossing over to the world of fiction?  Take a look at Thought Catalog's recommendations of the "Top 10 Fiction Books for Nonfiction Addicts" Whether or not you like nonfiction or fiction or both, what did you think of the list?  Share your thoughts here at The Things You Can Read!

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Review: Midnight in Peking: How the Murder of a Young Englishwoman Haunted the Last Days of Old China

Title: Midnight in Peking: How the Murder of a Young Englishwoman Haunted the Last Days of Old China

Author: Paul French

Genre: True Crime, Nonfiction

Publisher/Publication Date: Penguin/Nonclassics  (Published 4/24/2012)

Literary Awards:  Edgar Award for Best Fact Crime (2013)

Source: Net Galley

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Finished or Not Finished:  Yes,  I finished this one.  Excellent nonfiction read.  I love nonfiction to read like fiction, and this one does.

One-sentence summary: It is 1937, glimpse inside old Peking in the last days of colonialism where mayhem and murder go hand-in-hand.

My thoughts on the cover art: Eye-catching cover, which captures what the book is about.

I'm reminded of...: The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America by Erik Larson

First line: "The eastern section of old Peking has been dominated since the fifteenth century by a looming watchtower, built as part of the Tartar all to protect the city from invaders." Paul French, Midnight in

Buy, Borrow, or Avoid: Borrow or buy if you are a fan of true crime.

Why did I ask for this book to review?: Based on the description it sounded more like fiction and again proved the old saying that truth is stranger than fiction.

Other Thoughts: 
Fascinating how a footnote in one book can lead to so much more.  The author, Paul French, unable to stop thinking of a casual mention of the murder of Pamela Werner in Red Star Over China by Edgar Snow, led him to investigate the murdered girls story.  As he said, "When something casually read remains in the front of your brain the morning afterwards, it's usually the sign of a great tale." Paul French, Midnight in Peking

Summary Courtesy of Goodreads:

In the last days of old Peking, where anything goes, can a murderer escape justice?

Peking in 1937 is a heady mix of privilege and scandal, opulence and opium dens, rumors and superstition. The Japanese are encircling the city, and the discovery of Pamela Werner's body sends a shiver through already nervous Peking. Is it the work of a madman? One of the ruthless Japanese soldiers now surrounding the city? Or perhaps the dreaded fox spirits? With the suspect list growing and clues sparse, two detectives—one British and one Chinese—race against the clock to solve the crime before the Japanese invade and Peking as they know it is gone forever. Can they find the killer in time, before the Japanese invade?

Historian and China expert Paul French at last uncovers the truth behind this notorious murder, and offers a rare glimpse of the last days of colonial Peking.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Courtesy Net Galley:

Historian PAUL FRENCH lives in Shanghai, where he is a business advisor and analyst. He frequently comments on China for the English-speaking press around the world. He studied history, economics, and Mandarin at university and has an M. Phill in economics from the University of Glasgow. His previous books include Carl Crow: A Tough Old China Hand and Through the Looking Glass: China's Foreign Journalists from Opium Wars to Mao.

Does this sound like a book for you?  Let us know here at The Things You Can Read.

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Review: Mary and Lou and Rhoda and Ted: And all the Brilliant Minds Who Made The Mary Tyler Moore Show a Classic by Jennifer Keishin

  

Rating:

4 of 5 stars   "I'm an experienced woman.  I've been around...Well, all right, I might not have been around, but I've been...nearby."-Mary Richards   Were you a kid in 70s?  I was.  Did your family gather around the TV on Saturday night to watch the great line-up on CBS?  Mine did.  One of our Saturday night favorites was The Mary Tyler Moore Show.  I can hear the theme song playing in my head as I type..."Who can turn the world on with her smile..." I loved seeing Mary walk through the streets of Minneapolis and finally throwing her Turquoise and black knit beret in the air at the intersection of Nicollet Mall and Seventh Street.  If these are familiar memories then Mary and Lou and Rhoda and Ted: And all the Brilliant Minds Who Made The Mary Tyler Moore Show a Classic by Jennifer Keishin Armstrong will be pure reading pleasure, not to mention, a real blast from the past.   If you open this book looking for interviews with the key players of The Mary Tyler Moore Show then you may be disappointed.  Interviews are not how this book is structured.  Instead, you will discover how the show developed, from premise to execution, to iconic 70s TV, and finally, to its demise.   Did you know that Mary Tyler Moore was involved in a catastrophic Broadway musical of Breakfast at Tiffany's?  Did you know that most of the scripts for the Mary Tyler Moore Show were often based on true scenarios from the female writer's lives?  Did you know that the series almost didn't last beyond its thirteen episode commitment?  Did you know that James L. Brooks, one of the producers of The Mary Tyler Moore Show was one of the co-creators of a popular, but not too memorable TV show called My Mother the Car,  These are the types of tidbits that litter the pages of  Mary and Lou and Rhoda and Ted: And all the Brilliant Minds Who Made The Mary Tyler Moore Show a Classic by Jennifer Keishin Armstrong.   One of several surprise takeaways from Mary and Lou and Rhoda and Ted: And all the Brilliant Minds Who Made The Mary Tyler Moore Show a Classic was the history of women comedy writers.  Hard to believe that this show allowed women to break the glass ceiling and join the "Male-Only" comedic writing force.  The second takeaway was a study in human nature, that of Ed Asner.  Such a great actor, but such a flawed person; he held to  such rigid beliefs and advocacies, and in so doing destroyed a long-time friendship and his own TV show, Lou Grant.  And finally, the third takeaway was what the character, Mary Richards, did for women all over America.  From the girl next door to Oprah Winfrey, young women and young girls saw what they might achieve through Mary.  "The show was a light in my life, and Mary was a trailblazer for my generation...She's the reason I wanted my own production company," stated Oprah Winfrey.  In short, Mary Richard A.K.A. Mary Tyler Moore became a symbol for women for generations, which makes The Mary Tyler Moore Show something more than an interesting blip on the 70s pop culture radar.     Take the Quiz: Are You a Mary or a Rhoda? Are You a Lou or a Ted? Additional Resources:   After All-Mary Tyler Moore's Autobiography I, Rhoda-Valerie Harper's Autobiography Mary Tyler Moore Show History Author's Website: Jennifer Keishin Strong     Summary Courtesy of Goodreads:   Mary and Lou and Rhoda and Ted: And all the Brilliant Minds Who Made The Mary Tyler Moore Show a Classic   by Jennifer Keishin Armstrong (Goodreads Author)   Mary and Lou and Rhoda and Ted: And all the Brilliant Minds Who Made The Mary Tyler Moore Show aThe story of the making of a classic and groundbreaking TV show, as experienced by its producers, writers, and cast. Mary Tyler Moore made her name as Dick Van Dyke’s wife on the eponymous show, a cute, unassuming housewife that audiences loved. But when her writer/producers James Brooks and Allan Burnes dreamed up an edgy show about a divorced woman with a career, network...moThe story of the making of a classic and groundbreaking TV show, as experienced by its producers, writers, and cast. Mary Tyler Moore made her name as Dick Van Dyke’s wife on the eponymous show, a cute, unassuming housewife that audiences loved. But when her writer/producers James Brooks and Allan Burnes dreamed up an edgy show about a divorced woman with a career, network executives replied: “Americans won’t watch television about New York City, divorcees, men with mustaches, or Jews.” But Moore and her team were committed, and when the show finally aired, in spite of tepid reviews, fans loved it. Jennifer Armstrong introduces readers to the show’s creators; its principled producer, Grant Tinker; and the writers and actors who attracted millions of viewers. As the first situation comedy to employ numerous women as writers and producers, The Mary Tyler Moore Show became a guiding light for women in the 1970s. The show also became the centerpiece of one of greatest evenings of comedy in television history, and Jennifer Armstrong describes how the television industry evolved during these golden years. Hardcover, 336 pages Published May 7th 2013 by Simon & Schuster (first published May 1st 2013) more details...        ISBN 1451659202 (ISBN13: 9781451659207) Does this sound like a book for you?  Let us know here at The Things You Can. Happy Reading and Happy Blogoversary to The Things You Can Read! Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!