Social Media Friends Are The Best At Book Recommendations

 One of my social media friends posted a picture of a Sherman Alexie book with a caption underneath that read something along the lines of, “best writer alive”. Until that day, I had never heard of Alexie. But his name remained in my mind. While at The Paperback Trader in Redding, CA, I scanned the bookshelves for a gem and I found a Sherman Alexie book with a photo of two men punching each other. Immediately, I purchase The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fight in Heaven and read nearly half of it by the time I reach Modesto. I loved it. It is a wonderfully written book, with short stories that are magically told.

Soon after, I purchased Blasphemy.    

This purchase confirms that I had found a new favorite writer in Alexie. Blasphemy is a great book full of wonderful short stories. “Breakfast” is one of my favorites and is so short but packs the greatest punch of love, loss and parental guidance all in one and a half pages. Alexie is truly a magical storyteller. 

Then, last week while at the B&N bookstore in Fresno, I picked up You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me, a memoir piece mixed with prose and poetry by Mr. Alexie. And, well, everything comes to a halt. Here is my review of, You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me under the tab Memoir Reviews.

Happy Reading! 

By Francine! 

Seven Summer Must Reads for Women!

Anthem Recommends Seven Summer Books for Women!

Every summer, magazines, websites, publishers, friends and family recommend a slew of new summer books to read. Maybe you take those recommendations, maybe you don’t. Maybe you choose your own picks and devour them over the blistering summertime heat.

According to the New York Times’ summer read recommendations, it calls for “no hard” literature, no “deep and twisted meaning”. The Times explains they wanted, romance, fun, light summer reads and that is what it recommends to its readers. I disagree; I want hard, complex characters. Complexity is fine by me. I keep a minimum of 3 books with me, a fun read, a “my choice deep read”, and a book I am usually reading for a review. Don’t limit yourself to only romance novels during the summer months, nor limit to only newly released books, but if you so choose to, great, JUST READ, something, anything!

If romance summer reads is what you are looking for, my recommendations will do you little good. Although love is a factor, deep, complex relationships between- mother and child, men and women are at the core of the books I am recommending. All of the “Seven Books of Summer Recommendations” I have read and adored. Whatever your literary preference, I offer my own suggestions for women, you lovers of the written word. Enjoy.  Here it goes….

"Seven Books of Summer"

Mildred Pierce by James M. Cain: Set during the Great Depression; Mildred Pierce is the story of a woman doing her best to help maintain the financial status of her family. She leaves her lazy husband and starts working in a restaurant. Mildred is an amazing female character. She does everything for her children. Yet, her oldest daughter, Veda is the most ungrateful thing imaginable. This book tells the truth of what it is like to be a mother, the struggle, the constant sacrifice by mothers and the sometimes painful treatment a mother suffers at the relentlessness of their children.   

Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates:  One of my favorite books on family and a woman’s desire to wanting more in life than just being a mother and a housewife. Yates is a beautiful writer. This is a classic and heartbreaking story of April Wheeler and her family. The book is rich in wonderful domestic characters, but it is April Wheeler that the reader will never forget. Her profound loneliness is evident throughout the entire novel. I loved this book. The reader quickly gets lost in the suburban life of the Wheelers but it is the loneliness of Ms. Wheeler that will have the reader most alive. It is a loneliness that is hauntingly human.

The Book of Ruth by Jane Hamilton:  Poor, Poor Ruth. She is such an awkward girl with low self-esteem. She has a mother that treats her brutally. Ruth has a brother that is a math whiz and is favored and loved by her mother. Ruth has no friends. Ruth’s only friend is found in her aunt and the aunt becomes a saving grace for poor Ruth. She encourages Ruth to write and read. Throughout the novel the aunt and Ruth maintain the most decent relationship throughout the entire book. They become pen pals. These letters prove a lifesaver for poor Ruth throughout the novel. Hamilton develops the character of Ruth from childhood to adulthood. The reader gets to watch Ruth grow into a woman, a wife, and a mother. But the poor, insecure and awkward Ruth is never given a chance to grow into her full potential. Her mother is relentless as ever with each passing day. This book has one of my favorite passages in all of literature. After coming home from church, Ruth sees 3 burnt crows upside down on a telephone pole. She immediately shivers with a feeling of fear. After the horrible incident between her husband and mother, Ruth is adamant that the crows were a prelude to this. She states “Sometimes God gives you a warning sign.” This book will not let you put it down.  

In the Context of Love by Linda K. Sienkiewicz: A beautiful and interesting look at love and the loves that shape one’s life. Angelica falls in love with the high school bad boy. The relationship forever changes the relationship between mother and daughter. This makes the reader want more. Sienkiewicz does a marvelous job of creating tension and then when the reality of why Angelica’s mother feels so harshly against bad boy Joe it eases the reader with pure understanding. But it doesn’t stop there. The book covers decades of Angelica’s life. We see her love, grow, make mistakes, learn, and become a mother and a positive force when given a second chance. But the past has a way of creeping back into your life and it is not always a bad thing to have your past become your present. This is a great read. So full of the complex relationships between mother and daughter, boyfriend and girlfriends, husbands and wives. You will get lost in the beautiful tale of love.  

Snow in May by Kseniya Melnik:  The most wonderful collection of short stories by Russian writer Melnik. This book will transport you to a different time, a different place and shower you with delight at each beautiful tale. “Love Italian Style, or in Line for Bananas” is a wonderful story of a mother and wife and the temptation of a fling and how love overpowers it all. Melnik is such a fresh voice and is bound to keep you cool and interested from first page to last. I love these short stories. Take it in story by story and enjoy!

Beloved by Toni Morrison:  A mother’s love is the strongest force out there and Morrison captures this beautifully in Beloved. Even in death this love cannot be quenched. This book is life, it is poetry, and it is an all year long read. This book is a must read for all true lovers of literature. It is a timeless tale of love, of motherhood, poverty and of the afterlife.

God Help the Child by Toni Morrison:  After reading Beloved, you will have no clue Morrison wrote God Help the Child. Morrison’s voice is completely different, her work contrary to the mother in Beloved. This is a cool, modern take on a strong woman Bride and her even stronger mother, Sweetness, whose name is in no way suggestive to her character. Sweetness is a tough-love mother that punishes Bride for being dark. This constant treatment of Bride makes Bride tough and eventually successful as an adult. As the book continues it is clear that Sweetness had her reasons for treating Bride as she did and everything comes full circle by the end of the book. God Help the Child is an interesting look at what a mother feels necessary to do to in order to protect and prepare her child for the world, however questionable. Morrison writes a short, interesting read at how love comes in different forms, shapes and colors. I’d like to see this book made into a movie and Lupe N’yongo play Bride.  It would be such a good film.  

Happy Reading!

By Francine @

Anthem Book Review

A Book For Your Father

                

Anthem Recommends Books for Fathers

                                    

Father’s Day was first created by Sonora Smart Dodd whose father, war veteran, William Jackson Smart was a single dad that raised six children on his own. After Dodd heard a sermon regarding Mother’s Day, Dodd encouraged her pastor that a day honoring fathers should also be established. The idea soon turned into reality.

Dodd initially wanted Father’s Day to fall on her father Smart’s birthday which was on June 5, but after much discussion the date was changed to the third Sunday in June. The first Father’s Day celebration was officially held in Spokane, Washington and continues to be celebrated today.

This Sunday will be no different. Children across America are currently searching for a good Father’s Day gift for a day set aside to honor fathers everywhere. Well, there is no better gift than a book. Below are a few good books that shed light on the beautiful, complex relationship between fathers and sons. The lists below are of books and short stories that I have actually read and that I found to be interesting father and son stories. I hope you enjoy.  And if you are a father, have a wonderful Father’s Day!

Memoir- Comedy

Being a Dad Is Weird: Lessons in Fatherhood From My Family to Yours-by Ben Falcone. Falcone is funny-woman Melissa McCarthy’s husband. So, of course it is funny and full of inappropriate memories that Falcone so eagerly shares with the world about his unconventional father. There are great loving parts to the book that just warm the heart. Definitely a book both father and son will get a good laugh out of.

Memoir- Written by Stars

Not My Father's Son: A Memoir -by Alan Cumming . A heartbreaking story of an abusive father and polarizing figure that changes the course of his children’s lives.

Christian

Like Father, Like Son: How Knowing God as Father Changes Men – by Pete Alwinson This is a Christian themed book written by Pastor Alwinson. This book is really for those that did not have a strong father role in their lives and for those raised with a father that was absent and less affectionate. Alwinson does his best to help boys/men deal with filling that void by embarking on a relationship with the heavenly father, God.  

Memoir Family History

Dear Father, Dear Son: Two Lives... Eight Hours – by Larry Elder.  Dear Father, Dear Son is a beautiful story of Elder who since the age of 15 ended his relationship with his father. For years, Elder did not speak with him and thought he never would. On his deathbed, Elder and his father have a conversation that as you read each page, you will wish never ends. Dear Father, Dear Son, is a beautiful memoir of forgiveness and understanding and the bond between father and son that remains unbreakable.

The Return: Fathers, Sons, and the Land in Between-by Hisham Matar. A horrifying look at what it was like living under the Qaddafi regime. Matar writes of his father, his disappearance and the events that occurred during the revolt in Libya. Matar also delves into the lives of others and how they were affected by this war and revolt. There are stories so hard to fully grasp, so full of horror that the book is difficult to read at time. But Matar’s honesty and sentences structured so beautiful and rich in history makes this book well worth the read. I have not finished reading it, but should soon.  I warn you be prepared to be shaken. There is a story in the book about a man burying his son under the kitchen floor that actually made me lose sleep. The Return won the Pulitzer Prize and Man Booker Award and is deserving of every prize received.

Moving Target, A Memoir- by Ron Arias. Arias is a journalist and writes as such. The book is easy and utterly interesting to read. Arias begins with the history of his parents that is filled with beauty and horror. Arias’s father was a Korean POW that remains a mystery for much of the book. Arias, as a skilled journalist does his best to get to know a man that has remained a mystery to him for much of his life. He doesn’t find the answers to all his questions but there is clearly redemption found by the end of the book.  A great informative book about how we really never know who and what our parents were before they became ours.

It Calls You Back: An Odyssey through love, addictions and healing by Luis J. Rodriguez. I love this book. Rodriguez also wrote Always Running a truthful memoir about his life in gangs and prison. It Calls You Back takes place during the second phase of his life. Rodriguez has already transformed his life and has become a pillar and activist in his community. However, the life of his past rears its ugly face toward his children. Rodriguez writes an honest book of what it feels like as a father dealing with the difficulty and helplessness he endures, as he watches his son make the same mistakes he had in his youth. Rodriguez is so brutally honest that it is beautiful, he takes no prisoners, and he brushes off no responsibility. Rodriguez boldly admits his shortcomings and through this a beautiful tale between father and son evolves. This is a must read for anyone in the midst of change, of wanting more, the first steps come from within.

Fiction

The Road by Cormac McCarthy. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize, as well as my heart. I quote this book often. I’ve read it over five or six times. It is absolutely gorgeous. At what seems like the end of civilization, a father does his best to care, protect and continually teach his son to be good, “to carry the fire”. There are so many scenes in the novel that are heartbreaking and teeming with death, but the unconditional love of a father and faith in his only son gives the book hope and life. Every father should read this book, every human.

Fiction-Short Story

Tiny And Ray by Kate Krautkramer. This short story was published in The Normal School’s Issue 13. It is a heartbreaking story of how a father shouldn’t raise his son. It is the complete opposite of McCarthy’s The Road but remains a beautiful, seemingly truthful account of a father that is just as lost as his son. A definite must read. I really enjoyed this short story. It lingered with me long after I closed the magazine.

Happy Reading!

Written by Francine 

Anthem Recommends Books in Honor of May Day

International Workers Day, May Day, Workers Day, whatever day you are observing here are some great reads by Latin writers. 

By Anthem Book Review

In honor of May Day 2017 Anthem Books & Writing would like to recommend a few of our “Top Shelf Books” – so, if you are staying home in protest,  Anthem Books & Writing highly recommends relaxing and reading the following books:

This is my personal copy and as you can see
I've read it to physical book exhaustion.

The Devil’s Highway by Luis Alberto Urrea. This is a beautiful true story of 26 Mexicans in search of a better life that attempt to cross the Arizona desert. Urrea beautifully weaves together the lives of these men and takes you on their journey; it is a journey you will never fully return from. The Devil’s Highway grabs your soul and fills your mind with such understanding of why many make the trek through a diabolical desert for America.

All They Will Call You by Tim Z. Hernandez.  28 Mexican farmworkers being deported to Mexico are killed when the plane fails. Beautiful Hernandez, as always, writes a heartbreaking, informative true story of the Los Gatos Plane Crash. He recreates the past for us; he brings back the dead through vivid careful storytelling and introduces the reader to 28 hardworking individuals that will remain with the reader long after the book is closed. Hernandez is from the Central Valley, and one of our finest investigative writers.

A Thousand Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. The best book on earth- If you haven’t read this book, you haven’t lived. Read this book. Then reread this book at a slower pace, savor the written word. Then, learn Spanish, if you don’t already and read it in its original language. And thank me later for encouraging you to read this masterpiece. J  

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, film review

Watch Oprah shine in the new HBO special!

by Anthem Book Review 

I purchased the book, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks some time ago. I read and thoroughly enjoyed the book. It was not as I expected at all. I imagined it would contain plenty of science writing and lingo with a bit of a memoir feel to it and I would be completely lost. I had read past reviews of the book and I was intrigued, so I gave it a look. Boy was I mistaken. The book reads like a long, detailed, lovely explanation of what happened with this one woman- Henrietta Lacks and how that affected the lives of her children, and O what lives they lived minus a mom. It also is full of science facts, cells, justice, racism, and so much more. I was not able to put it down. The memory of the life and cells of Henrietta lived on in me long after I had closed the books cover.

Today, I just finished watching the HBO movie version of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks starring Oprah Winfery and Rose Byrne. I must say, it can’t get any better than this. I’m typically a skeptic when it comes to books to film versions; I always watch with cynical eyes. Yet, once Oprah became “Oprah the actress”, “Oprah the Cillie” from “The Color Purple” all doubt, all cynical view flew away to the highest heavens, never to return.

The film is heart wrenching. Oprah gives a moving performance; I would venture to say that she saves the film. All the other actors and actresses were well played, Rose Byrne really holds her own alongside Oprah Winfery. But good god, Oprah steals the scene, the movie; I for a second actually forgot I was watching a book to film.

I still recommend reading the book, there is so much detail left out of the movie, so much vital information that should be known and that the film in less than three hours could not properly explain. However, with that said, I encourage a viewing of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lack on HBO now, and have some tissues ready, it is a tearjerker. Also, pay close attention, it is not a book, where you can go back pages and reread something missed.

And keep a close eye on Oprah Winfery as she magically, powerfully does her acting magic. 

Closed for Submissions

A huge thank you to all those that sent us a request to review your book; I sincerely hope each of you find a reviewer and achieve success with your work.

With that said, Anthem Book Review has now closed Book Review Requests. We have picked three books to read and review and they are- a memoir by Keith Lawton, some fiction from Irish writer Benny Neylon and a book from local Madera writer, Glenna Jarvis.

Below are the books and if you want to pick up a copy and read along that would be great.

Stay tuned for the review.

1.)  NSA by Benny Neylon, Duplicator Books

2.)  No Accountability by Keith Lawton, Push Publishing

3.)  Sandmann by Glenna Jarvis,  Fusion Press

For more information on submitting your book for review, Please review the book review policy before inquiring @  http://anthembookreview.blogspot.com/p/anthems-top-shelf.html.

Happy Reading!

Anthem Book Review 

A Russian Journal, aged to perfection

A Russian Journal by John Steinbeck 1948

A Russian Journal by John Steinbeck is gem of a book with pages that smell of heaven. I purchased this book last weekend from, “Friends of the Library” at the Madera County Library “Local Author & Artists Event”.

Written in 1948, Steinbeck stated that the purpose of writing this book was to offer the world, “honest reporting, to set down what we saw and heard without editorial comment, without drawing conclusions about things we didn’t know sufficiently.”

A Russian Journal is such a lovely read, complete with great reporting and wonderful photographs of what life was like for Russians during the Cold War. All the photographs in the book were shot by war photographer Robert Capa.

I am looking forward to finishing the book this weekend. Although, I will not be reviewing this book, this is just a good fun read for me in-between my books for review.  I must say this paperback book is so old, it was published by The Viking Press as a Bantam edition in 1970, its yellow pages are perfectly aged that each time I turn a page; I am permeated with the loveliest of all scents- aged book.

Happy Readings!

Anthem Book Review  

Upcoming Book Release by Local Writer Tim Z. Hernandez

ALL THEY WILL CALL YOU

Tim Z Hernandez’s book titled, “All They Will Call You” is about the Los Gatos Plane Crash which occurred 69 years ago, on January 28, 1948 and will finally be released this Friday. The book launch is set to take place at the Whitifield Hall, Satellite Student Union Center at Fresno State from 6-8pm.  

The book tells the story of 32 individuals aboard a DC-3 plane that wrecked near Coalinga, CA, County of Fresno, while in route to Mexico. Of the 32 people traveling by air, 28 were from Mexico and had been either recently deported or had their contract terminated with the former Bracero Program.

The names of the pilot, stewardess and officer were initially reported in the newspaper during the time of the accident. However, the 28 non-Americans remained nameless and anonymous at death that is until Hernandez bravely began work on this project.  So who were these 28 deportees?  What were their names?  What were they like, alive, smiling, loving?

In, “All They Will Call You”, Hernandez aims to find the answers to those questions and much more. Hernandez is one of the best writers alive. He writes stories so compelling; he breathes life into the past, giving back humanity to those that gave up the ghost unnoticed, sculpting the past into present, word by word.

Hernandez writes with the diligence of a hungry journalist, and writes sentences with such poignant storytelling it sings to the soul. This is exactly what he did with “Manana Means Heaven”. He resurrected, the “Mexican Girl” in Kerouac’s, On the Road. He gave her breath, again, and told her story with such poetic beauty, after reading the novel,  “the Mexican girl” was no longer a stranger, she became ‘Bea”.  

Hernandez is the finest storyteller of the Central Valley. He restores the history of some of the most unknown and forgotten people of Fresno County with each project he takes on. He gives sound to that which was silenced by time, providing an eternal voice that will echo on in its readers.  

I encourage you to support local writers by attending the book launch of “All They Will Call You” as Hernandez releases the book to the public. It is going to be a great time.  

For more information on Tim Z. Hernandez, please visit https://timzhernandez.com

Happy Reading!

Written by Francine

We are open for Submissions!

Anthem Book Review is open for book review requests. Review our Book Policy and submit your request from now til the end of February via email. 

3 Books will be accepted. Please indicate if there is an upcoming release date. 

#smartpeopleread


Sincerely,

Anthem Book Review

Judge a Book by its Cover

2017 Books Reviews to follow! 

I judge a book by its cover. I admit it. I have had a few misses; I decline to state the names of those few books that just sucked. But there were a few. The cover drew me in and the writing pushed me away. However, I have also picked some of my most beloved books of all time, simply by the books cover. An example of this is when I picked out, Hans Fallada’s Every Man Dies Alone and the current new release, All at Sea by Decca Aitkenhead.

Fallada’s book is on my top shelf, one of the best books I’ve ever read. I have since purchased all Fallada’s books, two times over. Yet,  the cover  of Every Man Dies Alone, still enthralls me- the couple gently embracing one another,  knowing very well that Hitler is in power, that their life is changing, that heartache has gripped their soul, yet together they made a pact, and together they will embark on a journey that will put a dent in German history forever. The book is based on actual events and so brilliantly told. Writers just don’t write like that anymore. Every Man Dies Alone is littered with characters that are unforgettable.

O, I can’t even write about it, without feeling emotional, I want to now, walk into my living room pick the book up, caress the cover, skim the page, read my favorite passages and sigh with love. Now that is the true power of a book.  

My fingers and the stain of coffee also by me. :) 

A good writer is one that is able to shape and sculpt each word perfectly, forming the clearest, most moving sentence for the reader. I ended and began 2016/2017 with books that did just that.  

While in a bookstore, I walked by, All at Sea by Decca Aitkenhead and the ocean caught my eye. I grabbed the book, read the jacket cover, scanned the pages and purchased the book that day. The cover grabbed me and the writing kept me.    

I also finally found and purchased the out of print, Brother Sam: The Short, Spectacular Life of Sam Kinison by Bill Kinison with Steve Delsohn. I consider this my “fun read” and I usually read this type of book in between the others. Everything tastes better with “Flaming Hot Cheetos” and Sam’s book is my “Flaming Hot Cheetos” type of book. These types of books are fun to read, good as a snack and I usually pick them based on people I find interesting or things that fancy me.     

So the next time you are looking for a good read, follow your instinct and judge a cover, pick a book based on what you like, it need not be one recommended or on New York Times BestSellers List, trust your gut and go with it. You just might find an author or book that is just that good. 

***Note: All at Sea is currently on the Book of the Month pick, that is an online book club that gives its members 3 books in which to chose from. All at Sea is one of them. Although, I am not a member of Book of the Month Club, I prefer to pick my own. but if you are interested check out bookofthemonthclub.com for more info. 

Happy Reading 

 #smartpeopelread   

Written by Francine @ Anthem Book Review