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Post by greenbeing on Mar 11, 2006 9:40:25 GMT -5
Hey, Inuvik! I'm glad you caught the reference. Yup, it was Bill Bryson. In a Sunburned Country was the first travel book I'd ever read.
Now I must recommend another travel book. I can't believe I didn't recommend it before, as it's one of my all-time favs of any genre.
Round Ireland With a Fridge, by Tony Hawks. He's a British chap, and one drunken night, one of his mates bet him 100 pounds that he couldn't hitchhike around Ireland in 30 days with a major household appliance. V. entertaining.
A couple weeks ago I picked up a second book by Mr. Hawks (not the skater with the video games, just a British dude) and I'll post here when I've read it.
--GB
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Post by Duchess of Lashes on Mar 12, 2006 12:14:57 GMT -5
Please let me preface this by saying that this book will not be of interest to everyone, certainly not to anyone not as fascinated as I by the journey of a young Italian boy, who found in the painful operations and hospitalizations of childhood, a love for classical music. And in that love of music, he found within himself a voice that continues now to fill the world with some of the most beautiful notes ever sung.
The book is The Music of Silence, the author, Andrea Bocelli, written on a braille computer without benefit of ghost writer or advisor. Here he shares those moments of his life that have defined the man he has become, the hardships because of his blindness and his struggle to reconcile that to how he would live his life, the importance of friendships, the mother who refused to allow the world to treat her son as though he was somehow damaged, the normal insecurities of a young teen compounded by the insecurities of his own situation, and he presents them with such honesty and genuine remembrance.
I am only half way through the story of Amos Bardi, the third person who takes on the identity of Bocelli and walks in his shoes, narrating his story, yet I find myself already so in awe of this journey.
One particular chapter that has provided such insight and understanding for me, not only to Bocelli, but to the world of those who have lost vision, touches on his submergence into a world of total "darkness." He was just twelve years old when an accident on the soccer field robbed him of what little sight he had left, his ability to see colors and light finally taken from him, the result of a hemmorage caused by the impact of a soccer ball to his right eye. "One morning, raising his his eyes to the sky toward the sun, whose warmth he felt on his face, he realized that he could no longer see it. Fear and desperation gripped him, his eyes filled with tears and between sobs he called for his mother."
With this introduction, I find that it is no longer just the music that touches me but the life of the man too, understanding where those notes begin and end and what it is that perhaps makes them so different when raised by his voice. There is much wisdom in his interpretation of his place in the world, much to admire, much to contemplate and so much to be seen through his eyes.
"Do you see only darkness now?"
"No, Mama."
"Then what is that you see?"
"Everything and nothing."
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Post by greenbeing on Mar 14, 2006 20:28:56 GMT -5
A couple days ago I finished the fifth installment of a series by a British lady named Louise Rennison. She writes YA books about a girl named Georgia Nicholson. The first couple were the funniest and I highly recommend them. Quick reads, too.
I'm hard on books, probably because I have a writing degree. So I must admit that the author is falling into a pattern with the main character, and all the witticisms Georgia used in the first few books that were avante-guard, fresh, unique, they're starting to sound a little forced. But who knew if the authress actually planned to go this far with the character, or if the first book was such a rousing success that her publisher convinced her to do a full series.
Anyway, recommended. The first is called Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging. Snog is Brit for kiss. There's a glossary for us poor American fools in back, which is nearly as entertaining as the book itself. I always read it page for page.
--GB
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Post by Eyphur on Mar 14, 2006 22:02:36 GMT -5
Please let me preface this by saying that this book will not be of interest to everyone, certainly not to anyone not as fascinated as I by the journey of a young Italian boy, who found in the painful operations and hospitalizations of childhood, a love for classical music. And in that love of music, he found within himself a voice that continues now to fill the world with some of the most beautiful notes ever sung. The book is The Music of Silence, the author, Andrea Bocelli, written on a braille computer without benefit of ghost writer or advisor. Here he shares those moments of his life that have defined the man he has become, the hardships because of his blindness and his struggle to reconcile that to how we would live his life, the importance of friendships, the mother who refused to allow the world to treat her son as though he was somehow damaged, the normal insecurities of a young teen compounded by the insecurities of his own situation, and he presents them with such honesty and genuine remembrance. I am only half way through the story of Amos Bardi, the third person who takes on the identity of Bocelli and walks in his shoes, narrating his story, yet I find myself already so in awe of this journey. One particular chapter that has provided such insight and understanding for me, not only to Bocelli, but to the world of those who have lost vision, touches on his submergence into a world of total "darkness." He was just twelve years old when an accident on the soccer field robbed him of what little sight he had left, his ability to see colors and light finally taken from him, the result of a hemmorage caused by the impact of a soccer ball to his right eye. "One morning, raising his his eyes to the sky toward the sun, whose warmth he felt on his face, he realized that he could no longer see it. Fear and desperation gripped him, his eyes filled with tears and between sobs he called for his mother." With this introduction, I find that it is no longer just the music that touches me but the life of the man too, understanding where those notes begin and end and what it is that perhaps makes them so different when raised by his voice. There is much wisdom in his interpretation of his place in the world, much to admire, much to contemplate and so much to be seen through his eyes. "Do you see only darkness now?"
"No, Mama."
"Then what is that you see?"
"Everything and nothing."I just ordered a copy through the library. Thanks for the recomendation I can't wait to start reading.
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Post by rducasey on Mar 14, 2006 23:28:04 GMT -5
Wow Lori, thanks for recommending that. I am going to order on Amazon.
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Post by bjobsessed on Mar 14, 2006 23:32:19 GMT -5
me too. I didn't know he was blind.
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Post by Duchess of Lashes on Mar 15, 2006 19:18:17 GMT -5
me too. I didn't know he was blind. His story is remarkable and I found things to laugh at, things to really think about, things to really admire, especially his tenacity and his courage, and that of his mother. Anita, I didn't know when I first saw him on a PBS special that he was blind. I heard the voice, it floored me, and I saw the man - I thought he looked a little frightened, he didn't move much, Sarah Brightman had her arm on his for most of the song. I didn't see him leave the stage. And I had never heard of him before so I thought perhaps he just had a case of the first time jitters. It wasn't until I bought his first CD, Romanza, and noticed his picture on the cover with his eyes, closed, every picture inside the same, that I realized he was blind. And that is the main reason I chose one of his songs for a Blind Justice video - it wasn't that the translation of the lyric was perfect. Rather, it was the way the song seemed to fit a day in the life of Jim Dunbar, the musicality of the song, the swells of emotion in the voice, the strength and the softness, but more than that, it was the messenger.
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Post by awlrite4now on Mar 21, 2006 14:44:30 GMT -5
If you would like to read a very down to earth account of one man's journey literally from rags to riches, read Ronnie Milsap's story "Almost Like a Song". It's not a current book, but you could probably find a used copy on ebay or amazon like I did. I made the mistake of loaning my copy to my sister, who can't find her @$$ with both hands most of the time, and she promptly lost it. I just procured a signed copy of the book.
I've met Ronnie, been part of his fan club, and had a lot of nice experiences backstage at his concerts. A real Southern gentleman, he never showed what he went through on that road to success, until he wrote this book.
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Post by housemouse on May 6, 2006 12:50:08 GMT -5
I found this book at Borders last weekend, and I would highly recommend it: It debunks all kinds of myths and urban legends and it is a fun read!
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Post by greenbeing on May 21, 2006 17:58:13 GMT -5
Tales of Cunburra and Other Stories by Kara Siert This is a ten-year-old girl, adopted from China, daughter of the best friend of one of my co-workers. Last fall her parents were transferred to England (military) and within the month, Kara was diagnosed with osteosarcoma. They're doing battle with the disease over there, and Kara has always been a prolific writer. England's version of make-a-wish has published many of her stories in this book, one of which I read last summer because she had dedicated it to my co-worker. It was v. long, but also most often extraordinarily entertaining. I think it's been included, 'twas called "Daradel the Dragon." Half of the book has been dedicated to my co-worker (Storytelling Steve, as I've called him in a couple posts here). Her book just came out Friday, and she called SS from the hospital first thing to let him know. Entwined good news and bad news, and as one privvy to a first draft and the behind-the-scenes drama, I'm going to recommend this book. There's a very nice write up on www.karasiert.com, and her book is even listed on Amazon. Congrats, Kara! --GB
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Post by Dreamfire on Jun 9, 2006 4:14:11 GMT -5
The thought just ocoured to me. There is a character who is rather Jim Dunbar -like in terms ofhis personality ( not the blindness issue) in the book by Anne Rice called The Whitching Hour. for those who like the ex-boxer in an armarni
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Post by Deleted on Aug 4, 2006 10:29:03 GMT -5
If anyone likes a sort of girly book, I recommend The Devil Wears Prada - before seeing the movie, I read the book. And while it appears to be frilly, it's really not. It surely teaches the reader about life, expecations and let-downs. I thoroughly enjoyed it!
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Post by bump on Aug 23, 2006 12:49:16 GMT -5
Check out "Dispatches from the Edge" by CNN's Anderson Cooper. Thought not a long book by any means, it's been very interesting and enlightening.
For those of you who are interested in financial advice and preparing for the future (financially), I recommend David Bach's books. I recently re-read "Smart Women Finish Rich" and feel that he gives good advice that's easy to understand. He also has "Smart Couples Finish Rich" and a few other books.
Becky
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Post by dogma on Aug 23, 2006 12:58:29 GMT -5
Hope is not a plan." Anderson Cooper, in "Dispatches from the Edge," commenting on the mayor of New Orleans' hope that state or federal aid would have arrived within two days of Katrina striking the city (while the Superdome served as a shelter of last resort for some 20,000 people).
i have a very close friend in florida, her husband is a leutenant in the sherrif's dept,, when a hurricane is coming ( they live in stuart,, and the yr before last , they had three in one season ) the first thing that dept does is evacuate the families of the law enforcement officers, so they can do their job, knowing their own families are safe if that mayor in new orleans had done that,, then had his other workers and himself drive those 200 buses filled with people out of there, they could've saved hundereds, if not thousands, that ( imo) would've been the honorable thing to do
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Post by greenbeing on Oct 22, 2006 14:18:20 GMT -5
Wonderfully funny book of two British chaps who travel to the Land of the Free in order to break as many of our more silly laws as they can. Illegal to fish in pj's? Illegal to fall asleep in a cheese factory? Illegal to kiss for longer than five minutes? Wonder if they'll tackle censorship? xoxo kissie-kissie
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