‘The Absolute True Diary of a Part-Time Indian’ by Sherman Alexie tops the list of the Top 100 Most Banned and Challenged Books for 2010-2019. Photo: google
This year, Banned Books Week is from September 27 through October 3. Banned Books Week is an annual awareness campaign promoted by the American Library Association and Amnesty International, that celebrates the freedom to read, draws attention to banned and challenged books and highlights persecuted individuals.
According to the American Library Association, “The Absolute True Diary of a Part-Time Indian” by Sherman Alexie ranks #1 in the list of the Top 100 Most Banned and Challenged Books for 2010-2019.
Bestselling author Sherman Alexie tells the story of Junior, a budding cartoonist growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation. Determined to take his future into his own hands, Junior leaves his troubled school on the rez to attend an all-white farm town high school where the only other Indian is the school mascot. “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian,” which is based on the author’s own experiences, with poignant drawings by Ellen Forney, reflect the character’s art, chronicles the contemporary adolescence of one Native American boy as he attempts to break away from the life he was destined to live.
Jeremy Dale has over 20 years’ experience in the consumer electronics industry and until 2017, he was Corporate Vice President of Microsoft’s worldwide retail channel. Prior to that, he was CMO at Motorola during the RAZR heyday. Jeremy is now CEO of an exciting start-up business in the global football and entertainment sector where he is applying his philosophy. Jeremy owns a BAFTA for the launch of Pokémon, he was named 35th in the UK’s Marketing Power 100 and he was listed in Total Films 100 Most Influential People in the Movies. In his book “The Punk Rock of Business: Applying a Punk Rock Attitude in the Modern Business Era,” Dale offers guidelines to transform business from average to innovation through a mindset rooted in punk rock principles.
In the Foreword, “The Punk Rock of Business” Jeremy Dale explains how punk rock attitude can save the mediocrity of business. According to him, what society needs is pure, unadulterated business leadership which echoes many of the attributes of punk. Punk rockers had a cause – they wanted authenticity and refused to conform. Because of this, they created a dramatic change that shook society to its core. The author wants readers to apply this concept to the business world. “Applying a punk rock attitude in business is for those who want to make a difference, who love to dare greatly, who strive for excellence-characteristics that are far too rare.” His goal is to motivate like-minded businesspeople to be more punk. The book is divided into: The Eight Elements of Punk Rock Business: Element 1: Have a Cause, Element 2: Build a Movement, Element 3: Create New and Radically Different Ideas, Element 4: Drive Speed and Action, Element 5: Say It as It Is, Element 6: Be Authentic, Element 7: Put Yourself Out There, Element 8: Reject Conformity and The Key Requirements to Implementing a Punk Rock Attitude in Business. At the end of each element, there is a ‘Key Lessons’ section that summarizes the section’s ideas, a ‘So What Are You Going to Do About It’ section where readers can write down any thoughts and a final section that gives one more viewpoint on the element.
Business manuals are easy to come by nowadays, but “The Punk Rock of Business” is geared towards the modern thinker. It inspires businesspeople to achieve incredible things and not settle for the status quo, regardless of where they are in their careers. Written in plain and easy to understand language, the topics are informative and straightforward. The interactive portions have the reader jot down thoughts, ideas and actions to be taken, making the book easy to navigate. The stories keep the lessons fresh and entertaining. Standout chapter is Element 8: Reject Conformity, the section titled ‘It’s Okay to Ruffle a Few Feathers’ which includes the concept of standing up for what you believe in and not caring about keeping everyone happy because that is not your job. Most of the advice is useful for any age but will resonate with the younger generation who is familiar with punk and its no nonsense, in your face attitude. “The Punk Rock of Business” is a modern business guide that will challenge all types of businesspeople to reassess their goals and their approach to business in general and is recommended for readers who strive for a more meaningful career.
“….this book is primarily for people of action, passionate people who aren’t prepared to accept the status quo, who want to change the world-or at least their world.”
*The author received a copy of this book for an honest review. The views and opinions expressed here belong solely to her.
‘The Resurrection of Fulgencio Ramirez’ is the new release from Rudy Ruiz. Photo: google
Rudy Ruiz is a writer, advocate and social entrepreneur. The award-winning author’s short fiction has received several awards, including four International Latino Book Awards for his short-story collection “Seven for the Revolution” and the 2017 Gulf Coast Prize in Fiction. His stories have been published in the Notre Dame Review, Ninth Letter, Gulf Coast and New Texas. A native of the US-Mexico border, he earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Harvard, and now resides in San Antonio with his wife and children. Ruiz is also a regular special contributor to CNN and co-founder of Interlex, an advertising and marketing agency. His new book “The Resurrection of Fulgencio Ramirez” weaves together the past and present as Fulgencio strives to succeed in America, break a mystical family curse, and win back Carolina’s love after their doomed youthful romance. It was just released this week.
Set in the 1950, in “The Resurrection of Fulgencio Ramirez,” tensions remain high in the border town of La Frontera, Texas. Yet amidst the discord, young love blooms at first sight between Fulgencio Ramirez, the son of impoverished immigrants and Carolina Mendelssohn, the local pharmacist’s daughter. But their bonds will be undone by a force more powerful than they could have known. Thirty years after their first fateful encounter, Fulgencio Ramirez, RPh, is conducting his daily ritual of reading the local obituaries in his cramped pharmacy office. After nearly a quarter of a century of waiting, Fulgencio sees the news he has been hoping for: his nemesis, the husband of Carolina Mendelssohn, has died. “The Resurrection of Fulgencio Ramirez” offers a vision of how the past has divided us and how the future could unite us.
Laura Brown, has taught writing to everyone from corporate executives to high school students. Her expertise includes instructor-led training, individual coaching, classroom teaching and e-learning development. She has more than twenty-five years of experience providing training and coaching in business writing and she has also taught composition and literature at Columbia University. Her book “How to Write Anything: A Complete Guide” is a practical guide to writing at work, home or at school.
“How to Write Anything” begins with an Introduction by the author where she explains that in all her years of helping people to write, she has never met anyone who “can’t write.” In reality, everyone can write, they just need to understand the process of writing and the exact situation they are writing about. This is where she comes in. The book is divided into three sections: Section I gives guidance about the writing process and techniques to use based on the writing task, Section II is devoted to “e-writing,” writing done on a computer, a smartphone, an iPad or any other device connected to the Internet and Section III is an encyclopedia of nearly two thousand different writing tasks and how to write for each. The Table of Contents divides the writing tasks according to topics to make them easy to find.
Even though writing has evolved from exclusively pen and paper to e-writing, it is still necessary to know how to properly express an idea or thought. “How to Write Anything” is Internet-savvy for the modern age and has helpful advice on a wide range of topics from writing for personal life (holiday family newsletter, birth announcement) to writing at work (business letter, termination letter). The language is easy to understand and the writing advice is effective regardless of topic. Each section begins with a background of the task, has a list of Dos and Don’ts to summarize the guidelines and the ‘Not Like This…’ ‘…..Like This’ sections give appropriate writing examples. It covers a wide range of writing tasks, making it an essential guide for the whole family, particularly the sections on Social Media, page 210 – 219 and The Job Search and Human Resources, page 442-494. The helpful Index makes it even easy to look up a writing task. Overall, “How to Write Anything” is a how-to, a reference book and an essential writing resource that anyone can use.
*The author received a copy of this book for an honest review. The views and opinions expressed here belong solely to her.
The television adaptation of Errol Morris’ ‘A Wilderness of Error’ premieres on FX on Friday September 25. Photo: google
Errol Morris is an American film director of documentaries and former private detective. His documentaries have repeatedly appeared on many ten best lists and have been honored by the National Society of Film Critics and the National Board of Review. Morris has received five fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, a Guggenheim Fellowship and a MacArthur Fellowship. His 1998 documentary The Thin Blue Line is considered the best and most influential documentaries ever made. “A Wilderness of Error: The Trials of Jeffrey MacDonald” reexamines the case of Jeffrey MacDonald, the Green Beret physician accused of killing his wife and two daughters in their Fort Bragg home on February 17, 1970 and convicted on that crime on August 29, 1979. MacDonald has been in federal prison since 1982. A five-part television documentary true crime series based on the book will premiere on FX on Friday September 25, 2020.
In “A Wilderness of Error,” Errol Morris examines the nature of evidence and proof in the Jeffrey MacDonald murder case. According to amazon, on the morning of February 17, 1970, in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, Jeffrey MacDonald called the police for help. When the officers arrived at his home they found the bloody and battered bodies of MacDonald’s pregnant wife and two young daughters. The word “pig” was written in blood on the headboard in the master bedroom. As MacDonald was being loaded into the ambulance, he accused a band of drug-crazed hippies of the crime.
Errol Morris has been investigating the MacDonald case for over twenty years. “A Wilderness of Error” is the culmination of his efforts. It is a shocking book, because it shows that almost everything we have been told about the case is deeply unreliable and crucial elements of the case against MacDonald simply are not true. It is a masterful reinvention of the true-crime thriller, a book that pierces the haze of myth surrounding these murders with the sort of brilliant light that can only be produced by years of dogged and careful investigation and hard, lucid thinking.
‘Total Power’ is the new novel in the Mitch Rapp series by Vince Flynn/Kyle Mills
Vince Flynn was an American author of political thriller novels best known for the Mitch Rapp series. He created one of contemporary fiction’s most popular heroes: CIA counterterrorist agent Mitch Rapp, featured in thirteen of Flynn’s acclaimed political thrillers. Rapp’s primary focus is stopping terrorist attacks on the United States and usually does so using less than acceptable measures. His frustration with procedures and red tape is a major theme throughout the entire series. All of Flynn’s novels are The New York Times bestsellers, including his stand-alone debut novel, “Term Limits.” He was a consultant for the fifth season of the television series 24. “Total Power” is the new novel in the Mitch Rapp series and it is a race against the clock when ISIS takes out the entire US power grid and throws the country into chaos.
Starting in 2015 with “The Survivor,” the Mitch Rapp series has been continued by Kyle Mills. Kyle Mills is the #1 bestselling author of nineteen political thrillers, including “Red War” for Vince Flynn and “The Patriot Attack” for Robert Ludlum. He initially found inspiration from his father, the former director of Interpol, and still draws on his contacts in the intelligence community to give his books such realism.
According to amazon, in “Total Power,” when Mitch Rapp captures ISIS’s top technology expert, he reveals that he was on his way to meet a man who claims to have the ability to bring down America’s power grid. Rapp is determined to eliminate this shadowy figure, but the CIA’s trap fails. The Agency is still trying to determine what went wrong when ISIS operatives help this cyber terrorist do what he said he could, plunge the country into darkness. With no concept of how this unprecedented act was accomplished, the task of getting the power back on could take time. Rapp and his team embark on a desperate search for the only people who know how to repair the damage, the ones responsible. With computers and communication networks down, fuel can no longer be pumped from gas stations, water and sanitation systems are on the brink of collapse and the supply of food is running out. Rapp needs to get the lights back on before America descends into chaos.
Zeke Mesirow left his apartment in Crestview Manor as soon as Big John Thomas on KUKU-FM announced—using his serious radio voice instead of his fake hillbilly twang—that they were bringing the bodies to the high school gymnasium.
The tornado had arrived from the north, surprising the so-called experts. It cut an equal opportunity path of destruction through Maple Springs, flattening the black Baptist church on the west side where Zeke’s very white ex-wife used to sing in the choir, and blowing away the sanctimonious Presbyterians on the east side. It pinballed down Main Street, chewing up the Tastee-Freeze, Hank Dabney’s Esso Station, Dr. Manickavel’s emergency care clinic, and the Main Street Diner, but sparing the useless bank, Crutchfield’s boarded up general store, and the VFW Lodge.
As it roared out of town, it destroyed the Chevy dealership where Zeke’s son had once worked and the fancy townhouse development project Ted Landis was building across the road from Crestview Manor.
Zeke wanted to call his son, but Wayne didn’t own a cellphone. The road into town was impassable. Uprooted trees, overturned vehicles, chunks of concrete, twisted rebar, and pickup-stick configurations of aluminum sliding, roof tiles, and wallboard were strewn across the highway. It didn’t matter—he couldn’t drive anyway. His truck had disappeared.
A soft mist hung in the air like a wet fog, and it was eerily quiet as he started walking down the highway to the high school. At the outskirts of town he saw a man, his dark business suit turned gray with grit, standing in his front lawn clutching an open briefcase and staring down the road like he was waiting for the bus. A few blocks farther on an old woman wrapped up in a ratty bathrobe swept brick fragments from her front stoop. The stoop was all that was left of her home. As Zeke turned on to Hill Street, a teenager on an ancient Huffy with a twisted front tire pedaled slowly by, weaving around the debris, his head swiveling like he was trying to figure out which pile of rubble was his home.
The high school at the end of the Summit Avenue looked untouched. A highway patrol car and Sheriff Patrick Quinlan’s cruiser flanked the driveway leading to the front of the school, and there was an ambulance and a fire truck in front of the entrance to the gymnasium. Two men were lifting someone off a stretcher into the ambulance.
Sheriff Quinlan leaned against the open door of his car like he needed it for support. Water dripped from the brim of his hat and his uniform was plastered to his skin. A mud-splattered Silverado rolled past Zeke and stopped at the driveway entrance. There were two body bags in the truck bed. Body bags just like they’d had in Nam. Quinlan waved the truck through.
As Zeke approached the sheriff, Quinlan held up his hand. “You have to go to City Hall, Zeke. The mayor’s handling the missing persons reports.”
Zeke Mesirow frowned. They had been friends once.
Len Joy is an award-winning author of the novels “American Past Time,” “Better Days” and “Everyone Dies Famous.” He is a nationally ranked triathlete and competes internationally representing the United States as part of TEAM USA.
‘Everyone Dies Famous’ is Len Joy’s new novel. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
Len Joy is a nationally ranked triathlete who competes internationally representing the United States as part of TEAM USA. He is also the author of “Letting Go: Stories,” “American Past Time: After the Cheering Stops” and “Better Days: In This World Heroes Don’t Get Parades.” His fourth novel “Everyone Dies Famous,” released last month, is the story of a stubborn old man, who, as a tornado threatens their town, teams up with a troubled young soldier to deliver a jukebox to the wealthy developer having an affair with the soldier’s wife.
In the Prologue set on July 18, 2003 at 7p.m. Zeke Mesirow, one of Maple Springs, Missouri residents, leaves his apartment after a tornado and surveys the devastation left behind. He eerily witnesses “….a man, his dark business suit turned gray with grit, standing in his front lawn clutching an open briefcase and staring down the road like he was waiting for the bus.” After the Prologue, the first chapter begins fourteen hours earlier and the last chapter, set at 6:40p.m. ends the tragic story. The chapters in between track the residents’ lives before the tornado hits and sets the stage for the damage left behind by the storm. The small town is going through a drought, so many of the residents are unprepared for the approaching storm. Dancer Stonemason, an aging and long-forgotten hometown hero, is still grieving the death of his oldest son Clayton. He is liquidating his late son’s jukebox business so he hires Wayne Mesirow, an Iraqi war veteran, to help him transport two jukeboxes. Wayne is also dealing with grief: one of his fellow soldiers, Sonny, killed himself and Wayne feels he should have done more to help. His wife’s infidelity is also weighing heavily on his mind. Together, Dancer and Wayne navigate through their own family drama while the storm brings its own disaster that will leave one of them dead.
For those familiar with Len Joy’s work, “Everyone Dies Famous” is the sequel to “American Past Time” where Dancer Stonemason’s story continues. Years later, his son Clayton is dead and Dancer is trying to move on. The aftermath of the tornado is set at the beginning, so there is no surprise ending. The fun is in trying to find out how the different characters end up after the storm. Due to the extensive character build up, by the time the storm hits, the reader has spent time getting to know them and is eagerly flipping pages to find out their fate. The tornado action is just as exciting as the family drama taking place within the small town. Throughout the story, the storm is lurking in the background until it comes roaring into the picture starting on Chapter 33. From there the action shifts as the residents have to rely on each other to survive. Len Joy has an excellent grasp on the human condition and uses it to create brilliant storytelling. “Everyone Dies Famous” is an easy read, with relatable characters that spotlight the heart of everyday American life. It is a definite must-read and is recommended for fans of character-driven small town dramas.
“This is a small town, Dancer. Everyone dies famous here.”
*The author received a copy of this book for an honest review. The views and opinions expressed here belong solely to her.
‘One by One’ is the new psychological crime thriller by Ruth Ware. Photo: google
Ruth Ware is a British author of psychological crime thrillers but has also written young adult fantasy novels published under her name Ruth Warburton. The writing style in her crime thrillers has often been compared to Agatha Christie’s in the sense that one of her plot devices consist of protagonists who are usually ordinary women who find themselves in dangerous situations involving a crime. These include “In a Dark, Dark Wood,” “The Woman in Cabin 10,” “The Lying Game,” “The Death of Mrs. Westaway,” “The Turn of the Key” and her new release “One by One.” The characters in “One by One” are snowed in at a luxurious, rustic chalet high in the French Alps; it was released on September 8.
According to Amazon, when the co-founder of Snoop, a trendy London-based tech startup, organizes a week-long trip for the team in the French Alps, it starts out as a corporate retreat like any other: PowerPoint presentations and strategy sessions broken up by mandatory bonding on the slopes. But as soon as one shareholder upends the agenda by pushing a lucrative but contentious buyout offer, tensions simmer and loyalties are tested. The storm brewing inside the chalet is no match for the one outside, however, and a devastating avalanche leaves the group cut off from all access to the outside world. Even worse, one Snooper has not made it back from the slopes by the time the avalanche hit. As each hour passes without any sign of rescue, panic mounts, the chalet grows colder, and the group dwindles further…one by one.
Lucy “LuLu” Buffett is a Southern businesswoman, author and entrepreneur best known for her Gulf Shores restaurant Lulu’s. She began by cooking her way from coast to coast before returning home to Alabama to open a modest little bayside gumbo and burger joint that doubled as a bait shop. Now she is a successful restaurateur with three locations: Gulf Shores, Alabama; Destin, Florida and North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina where she serves over a million guests a year. Her adventures, culinary and otherwise, inspired her to write “Gumbo Love: Recipes for Gulf Coast Cooking, Entertaining, and Savoring the Good Life,” a cookbook that includes recipes from all over the Gulf Coast and incorporates Caribbean, Cajun, Cuban, Mexican, Old Florida and Creole influences.
In “Gumbo Love,” Lucy Buffett begins with a letter to readers where she explains that the book is a love letter to the northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico. Her mission is to pay homage to the coastal Southern food culture and continue the conversation she began with her first book “Lulu’s Kitchen.” Along with over 100 recipes, she shares stories of her childhood growing up in Mobile, Alabama as well as the adventures she has had traveling as a cook, the times she spent working as a chef in New Orleans and her attitudes on life, which includes relaxation, gratitude and seizing the day. She shares her mother’s philosophy of “Life is short-east dessert first” so she begins with Chapter 1: Life Is Sweet: Eat Dessert First. Each subsequent chapter is a category of delicious recipes accompanied by colorful pictures: Starters and Snacks, Gumbo Love and other Heartwarming Soups, Main Dishes, Vegetables and Sides, Deep-Fried Favorites: A Southern Must, Salads, Sandwiches, Vacation Libations and Mocktails and Coasting the Gulf Party Menus.
Lucy Buffett’s love of cooking and appreciation for the Gulf Coast shines throughout the pages of “Gumbo Love.” More than a cookbook, it is a collection of stories, background on food and dishes and recipes that have shaped her life and livelihood. The gorgeous pictures make the food and locales come alive. It is understandable that she wants to share the recipes she loves to make, but a handful of them are restaurant quality with too many ingredients and too complicated for the average cook. Some of the easier ones are for Salads, Starters and Snacks and Sandwiches as well as the cocktail recipes. Standouts include Cuban Yellow Rice, page 181 and Watermelon and Feta Cheese Salad page 229. In the Introduction, her ‘Ten Grateful Ingredients for a Bright Life and a Happy Kitchen’ is worth reading as is ‘How to Gumbo Lulu: A few notes on Gulf Coast Cooking Essentials.’ It also includes valuable ‘how to’ tutorials, such as ‘How to Shuck an Oyster’ on page 55. Overall, “Gumbo Love” is an impressive cookbook that will appeal to reads who appreciate excellent recipes and entertaining stories.
*The author received a copy of this book for an honest review. The views and opinions expressed here belong solely to her.
SA Examiner 