Book Journey

Written with a witty pen that caused moments of out loud laughter and an occasional wipe of the eye, Jess Walters writes a book that takes the pain of financial destruction and twists it into a novel of a man pushed too far and trying to make his way back.  ~  Sheila

Meet Matt Prior. He’s about to lose his job, his wife, his house, maybe his mind. Unless . . .

Following Matt in his week long quest to save his marriage, his sanity, and his dreams, The Financial Lives of the Poets is a hysterical, heartfelt novel about how we can reach the edge of ruin—and how we can begin to make our way back.

In the winning and utterly original novels Citizen Vince and The Zero, Jess Walter (“a ridiculously talented writer”—New York Times) painted an America all his own: a land of real, flawed, and deeply human characters coping with the anxieties of their times. Now, in his warmest, funniest, and best novel yet, Walter offers a story as real as our own lives: a tale of overstretched accounts, misbegotten schemes, and domestic dreams deferred.

A few years ago, small-time finance journalist Matthew Prior quit his day job to gamble everything on a quixotic notion: a Web site devoted to financial journalism in the form of blank verse. When his big idea—and his wife’s eBay resale business— ends with a whimper (and a garage full of unwanted figurines), they borrow and borrow, whistling past the graveyard of their uncertain dreams. One morning Matt wakes up to find himself jobless, hobbled with debt, spying on his wife’s online flirtation, and six days away from losing his home. Is this really how things were supposed to end up for me, he wonders: staying up all night worried, driving to 7-Eleven in the middle of the night to get milk for his boys, and falling in with two local degenerates after they offer him a hit of high-grade marijuana?

Or, he thinks, could this be the solution to all my problems?

My Thoughts…

In all honesty, the title of this book, the cover too… this would have been a book that I more than likely would have passed on if I had seen it in the book store.  I am here now writing this review telling you not to do that!  When Matt Prior loses his job he finds himself wallowing in reruns of The Rockford Files and becoming more paranoid about his wife’s on line flirtations….  when Matt winds up with an opportunity to sell drugs to help out his financial woes, at this point only days away from losing his home and pulling his kids out of a private school… he jumps into a humorous look at what people will do at the breaking point.

I would say in today’s world of economic uncertainties this book is surely a timely fictitious story of riches to rags… to living with the knowledge that it is possible to take a deep breath and live within our means… even if our means isn’t what we had hoped and dreamed.  There are more important things than money, big homes, and two cars…. and Matt Prior takes the long way around to finding this out.

Jess Walter is the author of five novels, including The Zero, a finalist for the 2006 National Book Award and Citizen Vince, winner of the 2005 Edgar Allan Poe Award for best novel. He has been a finalist for the L.A. Times Book Prize and the PEN USA Literary Prize in both fiction and nonfiction. His books have been New York Times, Washington Post and NPR best books of the year and have been translated into twenty languages.

Jess Walter’s Website

I received this book for review as part of a TLC Book Tour

I would rate this book R for some strong language

An interesting look into the game of football and relationships ~  Sheila

Can learning about football be sexy? According to Football is for Lovers, when it comes to your love life, football can be better than oysters.

The good news is that Football is for Lovers makes the basics so . . . well, so basic that learning the game is easy as eating an ice cream cone. And just as much fun.

With anecdotes, illustrations, and a lot of laughs, Football is for Lovers not only makes it easy to understand the game, but also shows you how to put an end to the TV clicker wars, improve your relationship, and spice up your love life.

It just takes looking at the game of football a little bit differently.

Then again, since Football is for Lovers contains references to football great Jerry Rice in a pink tutu, images of paintings by French artist Jean Dubuffet, an alert about the dangers of speaking Northeastern Mandarin, an explanation of the value of M & M’s in a relationship, and a Burma Shave sign, to say it looks at football “a little bit differently” may be something of an understatement.

But if your football-obsessed partner has been making you a ‘football widow’ from August NFL pre-season through the February Super-Bowl, thus convincing you that you hate football, this little book may be just the ‘different look’ you need to discover that, after all, Football really is for Lovers!

My Thoughts….

Uhhhh…. well, hmmmm… Ok.  For those of you who read this blog on any normal basis would know that this book is way out in left field for me (no pun intended).  When it arrived in the mail I looked closely at the cover and had to question myself as to what I thought I was getting.  A book on football that was suppose to explain the game and in a humorous way was my response.  AND… in all honesty, that is what I did get… with just a bit more…

Football is For Lovers is a book about football – and it is also about how to draw your significant others attention back your way during the season that makes many of us women feel like we are on the outside looking in.  The book does cover information on the game itself that I did not know and that was helpful for the few games I have tried to watch and be excited about.

The more intimate parts of the book are actually minimal and I can see where this book would be a great gift for newly weds who are also sports fans.  This book is more about getting to know the game of Football and being able to enjoy it together.  Bob and Kaye share the how tos of football in a light and fun manner that even made sense to someone like me who knows very little about the game.

Bob Brooker and Kaye O’Dougherty have been adventuring together for a lot of years now. They first met at a recording studio on 42nd Street. Yes, that 42nd Street. They recorded a commercial for E.J. Korvette’s, who went out of business soon thereafter.

Bob is an old saloon singer who, as Bobby Brookes, recorded for Victor and Capital back in the day. Kaye has trouble carrying a tune in a bucket. Nevertheless, over the years, as Brooker and O’Dougherty, the two have collaborated on a variety of theater projects, performing, writing, directing, managing, and producing. In keeping with the changing times, they have even created a cyber alter-ego named eBobb.

Recently, Bob and Kaye both took long-overdue turns at being rather mature college kids. Kaye now holds a Bachelors Degree in the Humanities from St. Peter’s College in Englewood Cliffs, NJ. Bob was graduated magna cum laude from Montclair State University with a BA in Theater, and is a member of Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society.

What I Learned…

I actually learned quite a bit about the game of football.  On page 104 there is a great page of a little cartoon referee who shows what each of the penalty signs mean.  I even picked up on a few facts that the guys may not know such as the width of the field…

You can visit their website by going to FootballforLovers.com or their blog by clicking here.

I received my copy for review from Jaime from Pump Up Your Book Promotions

I would rate this book as PG13,  for references to sexual activity

“On the first day of Halloween my good friend gave to me: a vulture in a dead tree.”

Everyone knows the Twelve Days of Christmas, but are you ready for the Thirteen Days of Halloween?  In this delightfully offbeat story, a dashing ghoul tried to win his ghostly love’s heart with heaps of hilarious gifts – ranging from broomsticks and bats to cauldron’s and cats!

Author CAROL GREENE wrote her first poem when she was six years old (it was about a spider).  To date she has published more than 200 books for children.  Carol also likes to read, sing, and make teddy bears.

Illustrator TIM RAGLIN brings his wacky imagination and wonderfully odd cast of characters to this book.  His previous books include:  The Wolf Who Cried Boy, The Curse of Catunkhamun, and The Birthday ABC.  He received a silver metal from the New York Society of illustrations for his book Uncle Mugsy and The Terrible Twins.

My Thoughts:

Beautifully illustrated I really enjoyed this book.  It is easy to see that kids are going to find great enjoyment to a tune they are already familiar with.  Each page I had to read every word to keep up the rhythm of the song…  The 13 Days of Halloween is one I can picture coming out each October and reading as a family in anticipation of the holiday that kids and adults alike enjoy.  It was a T R E A T to read!

This review book was sent to me by Sourcebooks