Monday, April 30, 2012

"Spiritual" book with joy, aha's and some tears

The ShackThe Shack by Wm. Paul Young

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I approached this with quite a bit of skepticism, but it was recommended by a good person who thought I might enjoy it. As I started reading I was in critic mode, finding fault in the narrator and his introduction of our "hero." By the end, as I was wiping tears, I wondered what happened in 253 pages. I won't try to summarize this, there are plenty of summaries. I will only suggest that whatever your experience and preconceptions, you may find some joy, some aha's, even some tears, if you read this. I am posting this review 3 years after reading the book because I stumbled on my notes and realized I had never shared it.



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Saturday, April 28, 2012

It takes a lot for me to call a book "the worst."

The Weight Loss Cure The Weight Loss Cure "They" Don't Want You to Know About by Kevin Trudeau
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Promises, promises. He's a master at whipping up excitement and then breaking the very promises he made. To use the words "all natural and effortless" to describe (in the cover copy) what is within goes beyond exaggeration. I read much more than I should have before putting it aside. I decided to enter this before giving it to the Friends of the Thomas Crane Public Library for their bookstore. It sat on my shelf for nearly a year and the only thing this is good for is creating an extra inch on my bookshelf and maybe making a buck for the Friends.

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Friday, April 27, 2012

Brockton Symphony "Love" Concert

Here is an embedded player from Podbean, with my WXBR AM-1460 radio commercial for the "Love" concert. Below the player is the text of the ad. The Brockton Symphony Orchestra concludes its Sixty-fourth season with a celebration of “Love,” at 3:00 PM, Sunday, May 6th, at the West Middle School Auditorium. Thrill to the magic & romance of Ina Zdorovetchi’s harp as she performs Rodrigo's Concerto de Aranjuez. Savor the orchestra’s performance of Delibes' Sylvia Suite, and immerse yourself in Dvorak's Symphony No. 8. Adult tickets are Twenty dollars, seniors and students fifteen, children five dollars, and are available at Brockton Symphony dot org, or by calling the Symphony at 508-588-3841. That’s 3:00 PM, Sunday, May 6th, at the West Middle School Auditorium, 271 West Street in Brockton. The Brockton Symphony Orchestra – Beautiful Music in the City of Champions! Sponsored by Harbor One Credit Union.

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Delightful little book bulging with inspiration!

The Memoir Project: A Thoroughly Non-Standardized Text for Writing & LifeThe Memoir Project: A Thoroughly Non-Standardized Text for Writing & Life by Marion Roach

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I give this five starts, which in the language of GoodReads means "It was amazing." What is amazing about Ms. Smith's accomplishment is that she has fit about 400 pages of information and ideas and inspiration into a mere 114 pages. I read some of it on the Red Line going to the State House or Boston Public Library, laughing out loud or exclaming "Wow!" enough to make my fellow passengers wonder, "What's with this guy?" I won't try to summarize it, I'll just wholeheartedly recommend this - not just to would-be writers, but also to readers who wonder how some authors are able to get through to us so easily. Just as a teaser, I'll conclude with one quote, guaranteed to appeal to a librarian, in the enticingly-titled "THE MYTH OF THE WRITER'S BLOCK," on page 42: "The inability to move forward melts when you open a reference book." Call me a major fan of Marion Roach!



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Who Needs Libraries? We All Do!

I was at the world premier of this wonderful video at the Massachusetts State House this morning as part of Library Legislative Day. Enjoy!