An Evening with Jess Walter

If you spent any time on my blog at all, you know how much I LOVE Jess Walter and how I can’t get enough of his books. So you can only imagine my excitement when I found out he was coming to Houston. I made sure to keep March 20 clear and I even passed up a trip to Las Vegas during my spring break to stay in Houston because I wasn’t sure if he was ever going to come back and I couldn’t miss the opportunity to meet him. With that said, it was completely worth it! I’ve actually never been to an author reading/signing event before and I’m really glad it was Jess Walter that inducted me to it and took my author event virginity.

He started the event by reading a short story from his new book, We Live in Water. And while I just recently read that story a few weeks ago, it felt refreshing and hilarious to hear it again coming from him. He followed that up by reading an excerpt from his recent novel, Beautiful Ruins, and a poem from, The Financial Lives of the Poets. Hearing him read the poem made me want to read that book again. It’s been a while since I’ve read it and I honestly forgot how funny it was and how much I enjoyed it.

My favorite part of the evening though was the Q&A part because not only is he as hilarious in real life as he is through his books, but it was also insightful to hear stories about his life. It gave me a new perspective on where he came from and how his work turned out the way they do. Take for example, his latest book, We Live in Water, which is a collection of short stories that to some are stories about scary deadbeats, but to Jess Walter are characters that share resemblances to his cousins. He told us that he wanted to write stories about the people we drive and don’t really look at and as I sat there and mentally went over the stories in We Live in Water, I realized how completely right he was—you have the homeless guy, the convict doing community service on the side of the road, the meth addicts, the gambler, the newspaper editor, etc. They’re all characters that we’ve probably ran into at one point or another in our lives and they’re all characters that have finally managed to hit rock bottom. He’s a great person to talk to and is just simply entertaining. I think I could have sat there and listen to him talk all night with a goofy grin on my face.

I didn’t think I could love the man anymore going into this event, and yet when I was walking out that door I was brimming with excitement and couldn’t believe how amazing and awesome Jess Walter is in real life. If you ever get the chance to attend one of his events I would highly recommend it. Besides, how can you not like a guy that signs your tooth?

Review: Outlaw Platoon

Outlaw Platoon by Sean Parnell

Publisher: William Morrow

Ratings: 

Source: Publisher

At twenty-four years of age, U.S. Army Ranger Sean Parnell was named commander of a forty-man elite infantry platoon, the 10th Mountain Division—a unit that came to be known as the Outlaws. Tasked with rooting out Pakistan-based insurgents from a valley in the Hindu Kush, Parnell assumed they would be facing a ragtag bunch of civilians until, in May 2006, a routine patrol turned into a brutal ambush. Through sixteen months of combat, the platoon became Parnell’s family. The cost of battle was high for these men. Not all of them made it home, but for those who did, it was the love and faith they found in one another that ultimately kept them alive.

When my friends saw me carrying around Outlaw Platoon by Sean Parnell they couldn’t help but mention how wide my tastes in books are. One day you can see me carrying around a fun and fluffy chick lit novel and the next day you can see me carrying around a serious war novel. I have to admit after reading Matterhorn (one of my all time favorite books!), my interest in war novels increased greatly. Therefore, when I was given the opportunity to review this book I knew I just had to jump on ship for it and boy am I glad I did.

Parnell’s novel is an excellent book that gives you a small taste of what happened during the war in Afghanistan. I guess one of the reasons I have such an interest in reading war books, especially nonfiction war books is because these are the stories that are not told in history books. We all took history growing up and we learned about the wars and the battles and the winners and losers, but we didn’t get the behind the scene story that you get when you read a memoir written by someone who experienced the situation himself.

I love reading these books because it’s the untold story that everyone needs to know. Can you imagine being 24 and leading a whole platoon? Parnell is the same age I am today when he was put in charge and became responsible for 40 men. Every time I read one of these books I’m always shocked and surprised by how young these men are and how mature they are for their age.

As I turned the pages in this book, my appreciation for the armed forces grew larger and larger. My heart broke for them as I read the hardships and obstacles they had to overcome. I was amazed by their determination and willingness to continue to serve their country. Many of these men ignored their own personal injuries and refused to be evacuated because they couldn’t live with the option of leaving their fellow soldiers behind. It was amazing to read about the bonds of brotherhood forged between these men and how they really became a family for one another.

I highly recommend the Outlaw Platoon by Sean Parnell because it contains all the stories that you won’t get from reading history books or CNN news. Parnell takes you on quite an adventure as he retells his tour in Afghanistan and recounts the bravery, brotherhood, and treachery of war

[ purchase from amazon ] [ visit the author ]

Review: A Land More Kind than Home

A Land More Kind than Home by Wiley Cash

Publisher: William Morrow

Ratings: 

Source: Publisher

For a curious boy like Jess Hall, growing up in Marshall means trouble when you get caught spying on grown-ups. Adventurous and precocious, Jess is protective of his older brother, Christopher, a mute whom everyone calls Stump. Though their mother has warned them not to snoop, Stump can’t help sneaking a look at something he’s not supposed to—an act that will have repercussions. It’s a wrenching event that thrusts Jess into an adulthood for which he’s not prepared. He now knows that a new understanding can bring not only danger and evil—but also the possibility of freedom and deliverance.

A Land More Kind than Home by Wiley Cash has all the makings of a perfect southern novel with its mystery, history, and culture. Cash is a wonderful author and I absolutely fell in love with his writing. I’m excited to read his future works.

The mystery in A Land More Kind than Home isn’t quite a mystery and the readers learn quite quickly what has happened, but despite this, the story actually unfolds quite slowly and this gives the book a bit of southern charm in the slow way everything unfolds and is explained. The characters are given a chance to add great depth to the story by providing their own personal history to it. There are plenty of flashbacks that give the readers insight into the actions of the characters and how the narrators became the person they are today.

One of the reasons I really enjoyed reading this book was because of the journey it took me on. I’m sure every reader knew where the story was going within pages of starting this book, but for once, this book wasn’t about the destination, but rather the ride it took the readers on. I was enchanted by the world that Cash created and I was fully immersed in the lives of the characters. I never wanted to stop turning the pages.

A Land More Kind than Home is a book I would recommend to those who are looking for a good Southern novel to read. The pace is slow, but the story and writing are amazing!

[ purchase from amazon ] [ visit the author ]

Review: Indiscretion

Indiscretion by Charles Dubow

Publisher:  William Morrow

Ratings: 

Source: Publisher

Harry and Madeleine Winslow have been blessed with talent, money, and charm. Harry is a National Book Award–winning author on the cusp of greatness. Madeleine is a woman of sublime beauty and grace whose elemental goodness and serenity belie a privileged upbringing. Bonded by deep devotion, they share a love that is both envied and admired. The Winslows play host to a coterie of close friends and acolytes eager to bask in their golden radiance, whether they are in their bucolic East Hampton cottage, abroad in Rome thanks to Harry’s writing grant, or in their comfortable Manhattan brownstone.

One weekend at the start of the summer season, Harry and Maddy, who are in their early forties, meet Claire and cannot help but be enchanted by her winsome youth, quiet intelligence, and disarming naivete. Drawn by the Winslows’ inscrutable magnetism, Claire eagerly falls into their welcoming orbit. But over the course of the summer, her reverence transforms into a dangerous desire. By Labor Day, it is no longer enough to remain one of their hangers-on.

A story of love, lust, deception, and betrayal as seen through the omniscient eyes of Maddy’s childhood friend Walter, a narrator akin to Nick Carraway in The Great Gatsby, Indiscretion is a juicy, richly textured novel filled with fascinating, true-to-life characters—an irresistibly sensual page-turner that explores having it all and the consequences of wanting more.

Wow! Indiscretion by Charles Dubow was not what I was expecting at all when I signed up to be a part of this book tour, but I’m so glad I had the opportunity to read this book. I was first interested in reading this book because of the comparisons it was drawing from The Great Gatsby, a book that I love and adore.

Indiscretion follows a group of friends who seem to have it all until one of them succumbs to temptation and all of their lives go spiraling out of control. The book wonderfully portrays how one mistake can affect so many lives and how profound the consequences of that mistake can be. It depicts how we deal with relationship, friendship, betrayal, deceit, and love.

Harry and Maddy seem to be the perfect couple who are happily married and completely in love with one another. That is until Claire enters the picture and is immediately drawn to the charisma that surrounds the happy couple. To round out the fourth wheel, is Walter, the narrator of the story, who is in love with Maddy, but is content to just adopt Harry and Maddy’s family as his own. It was quite interesting to have the story told from Walter’s point of view rather than the characters that were involved in the affair.

Dubow does a wonderful job of fleshing out these characters and truly making them come off the pages in the story. Their flaws were clearly visible for all to see, but at the same time you couldn’t help but become attached to these characters and drawn to their actions. These aren’t people that you would want to be, but their story was so attracting and I just couldn’t put the book down.

Indiscretion by Charles Dubow is a book that I would highly recommend! It was amazing and entertaining and the writing was brilliant. I couldn’t believe this was his debut novel and I’m excited to see what he has in store for us. I’m definitely looking forward to his future novels.

[ purchase from amazon ] [ visit the author ]

Tooth and Mail (20)

Tooth and Mail is just like In My Mailbox hosted by Kristi and Mailbox Monday hosted by Marcia with a little twist to the name to match my blog. Mailbox Monday is currently on tour and Lori at Lori’s Reading Corner is hosting it this month. It’s basically a meme that allows bloggers to share with one another the books we have acquired during the week.

Damn Few: Making the Modern Seal Warrior by Rorke Denver

Indiscretion by Charles Dubow

Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman by Jon Krakauer

Ever since I finished reading Matterhorn by Karl Marlantes, I’ve been on a quest to read more war novels.