MY DATE WITH SATAN: Stories

Amazon.com

Breathe a sigh of relief at the appearance of Stacey Richter, a hip, pop culture-obsessed fiction writer who actually knows what she's doing. A lot of "buzz" surrounds her first collection, My Date with Satan, and she was hailed by the Voice Literary Supplement as a "writer on the verge," but Richter is much more than the flavor of the month. Her prose bristles with humor and sadness, and her characters are true originals: an ex Teen Idol ("The Ocean"), a member of a Swedish heavy-metal band ("Goal 666"), a girl who desperately wants to be a Cat Lady ("Rats Eat Cats"). In this last story the 21-year-old narrator can't wait to get old in an apartment overtaken by felines:

I would constantly wear the same sweater, and maybe a synthetic wig. I'd have several litter boxes in my apartment, and this litter would be changed infrequently. I would receive either welfare or social security and spent most (if not all) of these public moneys on cat food.... Cat hair would be embedded in my sweater. It would almost appear that my sweater was made of cat hair.

Richter's characters are often pathetic or blind to themselves, but the author never condescends; writing solely in first person, she masterfully captures the private logic and language of her narrators. They are like messengers from an overlooked world, telling us stories we somehow need to know. In this way Richter reminds me of Eudora Welty, who also invested small, outcast characters with poetry, humor, grace. My Date with Satan establishes Richter as a talent to be reckoned with. She writes like a discoverer who has found the country she's been looking for. --Emily White

Book Description

Stacey Richter, Pushcart Prize winner and a Village Voice Writer on the Verge, delivers an alluring literary debut that marks the arrival of a new voice in fiction. Combining acute observations with profound compassion, Richter chronicles the obscure narratives of American life from rock-groupie love to Internet dating to drug-hungry Health Ed teachers.

"The Beauty Treatment" is narrated by a teenager who has had her face slashed by her best friend. Theirs is a brand of girlfriend rivalry common at any high school, but with Richter's remarkable agility and unique language, their story becomes an epic of empathy and forgiveness.

Any self-respecting Scandinavian Satanic heavy metal band -- even one with a chick keyboard player -- always knows it must "corrupt the world / spread the metal." But by the end of "Goal 666," the Lords of Sludge are possessed by a different kind of uncontrollable urge.

In "Sally's Story" a family's decline parallels their greyhound's rise to fame in the art world, and in "Rats Eat Cats" a depressive young woman tries to find sanctuary in a living art project in which she becomes a reclusive Cat Lady ("an old woman who lives 'by herself' with as many as seventy-five cats in a one-bedroom apartment") only to fall in love with her neighbor and arch enemy, the Rat Boy.

"A Prodigy of Longing" renders the impossible domestic situation of a child genius navigating the terrain occupied by his father and stepmother -- both believers in alien abduction -- and the biker boy next door.

An honest and affecting explorer of human experience, Richter turns tales from the fringe into stunningly intimate depictions of loss and loneliness. Her voice is distinctly original and deeply funny.

Customer Reviews:

The Devil went down to Tucson..........2007-06-27

If Satan REALLY had influenced Stacey Richter's fabulous storybook, it would have turned out to be the teenybopper swamp of ennui the title suggests.
Fortunately, Tucson writer Richter wrestled with the devil and won. The book is the real stuff in tone, texture and thoughtful provocation. It may dwell on the ordinary content of our time, but it begs questions that force readers into extraordinary circumstances. Read "Oceans" and see whether the gallons of ink spilled in service to Paris Hilton or Justin Timberlake have ever produced as authentic a portrait of celebrity.
Definitely NOT chicklit.

takes all kinds.......2006-02-13

i can't for the life of me figure out how anyone could fail to adore this book. richter has probably the most perfectly realized voice in short fiction to come along in, oh, forever. other than the regrettable jacket design (why, publisher, why?), it's a total and utter gem. "the beauty treatment" alone is worth the price of the book. she's wickedly funny, a total genius, and spares us no richly earned pathos along the way. i'm constantly finding used copies and spreading them around to any lover of contemporary fiction i can identify. here's hoping richter someday gets the readership she so deserves. maybe if she tackles some lobotomized hybrid of international conspiracy, wizardry, the travails of the single, shoe-obsessed girl, and the life of christ next time?

Not for me..........2005-05-24

I thought I'd enjoy this humorous short story collection, but My Date with Satan read like an amateur comic routine at a comedy club. The author tried too hard to be witty and clever at times and said attempts often backfired. I rolled my eyes while I read this book more times than I care to remember. The only story that I liked was "Rats Eat Cats." That was the only story that had some earnest humor. As an avid short-fiction reader, My Date with Satan lack the ingredients needed in this stuff genre to hook readers. This book was not for me...

Primetime for Misfits.......2002-12-08

Stacey Richter's "My Date With Satan" reads like a lite sitcom version of Katherine Dunn's "Geek Love." While the book's star "The Beauty Treatment" is primetime Emmy material, the rest of the stories might be better considered in the daytime soap category. Lite and silly, yet well-written, "Satan" is a good read for college undergrads on spring break.

Lite Sitcom.......2002-12-07

Stacey Richter's My Date With Satan reads like a lite sitcom version of Katherine Dunn's "Geek Love." The book's star "The Beauty Treatment" is an Emmy shoe-in.

Book Description

When Valentine¹s Day arrives, Yusaku receives flowers from Kozue and then from Kyoko, each with its own special meaning. Kyoko's parents continue to meddle in her life, despite her protests.

Customer Reviews:

Great series.......2007-05-07

This is only the fifth in the series of 15 graphic novels for this series and there are some great single stories here, but the value of this series is in the whole series. It is in my opinion the best Japanese Manga series available. It's overall story is close to earth with no robots or aliens and the problems encountered are true to life, which makes this such a great series. I highly recommend this series to anyone looking for a great Manga series that is touching, romantic and heart warming.

WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO HAVE SOME KIDS?.......2006-06-26

When Kyoko gets together with her family to commemorate the 3 year anniversary of her husband's death, an uncomfortable topic comes up. Her relatives begin to pressure her about when she's going to remarry, settle down, and have some kids! Kyoko begins to scout what Yusaku and Mitaka's attitudes towards marriage are and what they would expect out of a wife. Neither prospect seems especially attractive. Kyoko isn't the only one wavering between two lovers as Yusaku is still seing Kozue a bit, and Kyoko even catches him trying to sneak an inebriated girl he just met into a love hotel! The big event in this volume is that Yusaku's ancient and tiny grandma who could almost double for Yoda comes to visit Maison Ikkoku. She has her own designs on hooking up Yusaku with a good woman, and she's willing to step on his toes to get it done.

Maison Ikkoku reads to me like a slice of life independent American comic. This would be a good manga for a non-manga reader because it's just about normal life. Rumiko Takahashi is a genius when it comes to taking ordinary events and milking them for comedy. It's almost like watching Seinfeld in its mix of surreal moments of humor with human truth on how the human animal reacts to situations. Volume 5 of Maison Ikkoku continues the excellence this series started with and gives you the feeling that it will never decline as it goes forward.

The saga of Kyoko and Yusaku continues.......2004-06-18

After a long stretch of melodrama, Rumiko Takahashi deals with some more lighthearted material in the fifth "Maison Ikkoku" volume. Now rereleased in their original order, this charming little collection mixes drama, comedy, and romance in equal measure.

Yusaku Godai has just returned from his stint in self-imposed exile... and he has a bad cold, Kyoko isn't home, and the other tenants are tormenting him. No sooner has he recovered than it's the holidays, and despite his poverty Yusaku manages to give his beloved manager a special gift for Christmas. But Valentine's day brings a new set of problems when Kozue gives him a gift of pansies (meaning: Keep me in your heart), and Kyoko finds out about them.

Things get more complicated when a frustrated Kozue asks Mitaka for advice on men -- and people think that Mitaka is secretly involved with Yusaku's girlfriend. But Yusaku has bigger problems: he finds himself threatened by the memory of Kyoko's late husband Soichiro, when Kyoko's father-in-law asks him to bring her Soichiro's old diary. And Kyoko finds a strange entry in the diary, but the postcard that was tucked inside is missing. It fell out in Yusaku's bag. Will he do the right thing and return it to her?

Since the previous volume of "Maison Ikkoku" had lots of drama and misery and angst, Takahashi lightens things up here. Kyoko's imagination runs wild when she's urged to have kids -- she sees herself surrounded by dozens of squalling babies. Soichiro's food-diary is pretty odd. Yusaku's hormones run wild when Kyoko buys a leotard. And finally the "ship of fools" plays dress up with their high-school clothes -- yes, even the relatively sane Kyoko joins in.

But the romance ante is upped too, as Yusaku and Kyoko accidently kiss (after Akemi drunkenly smooches both of them), and Yusaku goes to great lengths to prove himself to the woman he adores. The two of them aren't involved -- and won't become so for a long time -- but Takahashi knows how to stretch out romantic tension without making it snap.

Our loser hero has grown up a little, and become more responsible and less of a goofball. And Kyoko (who is having sexy dreams about Yusaku) is definitely starting to move past Soichiro, although she's still definitely hung up on her late husband. And except for the beleagered preteen Kentaro, the other inhabitants of Maison Ikkoku are as nutty as ever.

In its fifth volume, "Maison Ikkoku" opts for fluffier standalone fare, but it's still quite touching and romantic. An entertaining continuing story.

Empty nest, full of laughs!.......2003-08-25

The fifth Ikkoku graphic novel is good. But they're all great, so this being great is nothing special.

OH, BABY
Kyoko's mom pressures her to remarry so she can have grandchildren.
MY NOTES
Contains some pretty funny visions Kyoko has of whether she marries Godai or Mitaka. And it all ends in a SLAP!

A VERY TIGHT GAME
The Cha Cha Maru baseball team steps up at bat!
MY NOTES
18 to 11 already?! Are they playing baseball or basketball?!

SHALL WE... REST A WHILE?
Godai goes to a love hotel with a girl, but is caught by Kyoko.
MY NOTES
Godai truly needs to grow a brain cell.

GRANDMA GOES TO TOWN
Grandma Yukari arrives at Ikkoku to visit. Also, Godai and Kyoko are forced to take Yukari to her Tokyo reunion.
MY NOTES
These old women are SENILE! Getting names confused and jumping from emotions are proof!

STOP FOLLOWING ME!
Yukari follows Yusaku on his date with Kozue.
MY NOTES
No important notes. It's just a funny chapter.

COME ON A MY HOUSE
Mitaka invites Grandma Yukari and her grandchild (who he thinks is Kyoko) to his house.
MY NOTES
REALLY funny! Especially when Yukari tells the story of her marrying Grandpa Godai.

GRANNY'S OL' PLUM WINE
Soichiro (the dog) gets drunk!
MY NOTES
That's one grabby little pooch!

PLAYING HICKEY
Kyoko gets jealous over a hickey on Godai's shoulder. Little does she know, Sakamoto accidentally gave Godai that hickey.
MY NOTES
Just cause he's spineless and clumsy doesn't mean he doesn't have-Plenty of GIRLS!

A HOT WIND
On a trip to Okinawa, Godai runs into a very `talkative' girl name Konatsu.
MY NOTES
A good chapter. It's pretty appealing, but I can't figure out why.

OK. That's all.

Grandma Go Away!!.......2001-11-12

Another delightful book in the Maison Ikkoku series. I seem to be repeating myself quite often with these words, but anyway good book. The book begins off with the usual struggle: Kyoko vs her parents this time the topic of argument is grandchildren, and leave it to Mrs. Chigusa to drive bamboo shoots underneath Kyoko's fingernails. Mrs. Chigusa even invites Mitaka out for coffee, and of course Mrs. Ichinose and Yusaku are with them. The main highlight of this book, however, is the arrival of Godai's Grandmother Yukari. She meddles in Yusaku's life trying to find out his loves, so she seems to pick up very quickly that Godai has feelings for the beautiful Kyoko. She even gets Mitaka to take the gang to his apartment so Godai can check out his competition, and let's say that Godai falls quite far behind Mitaka in the material world, but Godai is our hero he will persevere. hehe

Average customer rating:

Maison Ikkoku, Vol. 2, #5

Manufacturer: Viz Select Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Comic
ASIN: B000BD5JH0

Average customer rating:

Maison Ikkoku, Vol. 5: Empty Nest

Manufacturer: Tandem Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Manga | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

Shonen (Boys) | Manga | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

Average customer rating:

The most feline fun you'll ever likely have

Purrfect Plunder (Spaceways Series, No. 6)
John Cleve
Manufacturer: Playboy Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

In Quest of Qalara (Spaceways Series, No. 9)

ASIN: 0867211482

Customer Reviews:

The most feline fun you'll ever likely have.......2000-05-17

It's with guilty pleasure that I concede that this is probably my all around favorite book. I'm not saying it's a great work of literature, but since I first discovered the "Spaceways" series in 1983 this is the one I keep going back to year after year (I've nearly worn out my second copy). Fortunately it's also one of the easiest books in thie series to find. "Purrfect Plunder" is a delicious little hurt/comfort story involving the handsome rogue space pirate and slaver Capt. Jonuta and his newly aquired "catch," HReenee a female alien feline of the race HRal, who promises many exciting and delighting feline frolics - if he can get past her claws. Filled with enough action to keep you interestred between the scenes we're really there for, it also has enough angst for the modern reader who's grown up with Anne Rice and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." In the "Spaceways" series John Cleve (aka Andy Offitt) has managed to produce the strangest of hybrids, a really well written science fiction epic as broad in scope and exotically populated as Larry Niven's "Known Space" series, and as x-rated as any of the junk sex novels you'll find in an adult book store. Andy has shown the publishing world just how good an adult novel can get, and "Perrfect Plunder" is certinly as good as it gets. Andy's masterful descriptions are way beyond the repetitive and simplistic adult writings of Anne Rice, and his depictions of alien/human sex much more detailed and erotic than those of Mercedes Lackey or Larry Niven. Fortunate readers who love feline characters will find that HReenee is one cat that doesn't pussyfoot around (but Andy, why didn't you give her a tail?). Lisanne Norman and Larry Niven could both learn a lesson or two in feline sex from this book (Andy, if you're reading this, send me the outtakes! ). Buy it when you see it (the cover alone is worth the price) as it's not an easy book to find, then join with me in traveling the Spaceways-if you dare!

Average customer rating:

Too much nostalgia, not enough "low & slow" how to ...

Fantastic combination of BBQ history, culture and recipes

Loved it

Pure BBQ spirit

Fun history

Legends of Texas Barbecue Cookbook: Recipes and Recollections from the Pit Bosses
Robb Walsh
Manufacturer: Chronicle Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Barbecuing & Grilling | Outdoor Cooking | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Special Appliances | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Southwest | U.S. Regional | Regional & International | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

The Tex-Mex Cookbook: A History in Recipes and Photos

Backyard BBQ: The Art of Smokology

Dr. BBQ's Big-Time Barbecue Cookbook: A Real Barbecue Champion Brings the Tasty Recipes and Juicy Stories of the Barbecue Circuit to Your Backyard

Peace, Love, & Barbecue: Recipes, Secrets, Tall Tales, and Outright Lies from the Legends of Barbecue

Barbecue Secrets: Unbeatable Recipes, Tips and Tricks from a Barbecue Champion

ASIN: 0811829618

Book Description

Welcome to Texas barbecue. They love to make it. They love to eat it. And they love to argue about it-igniting as many feuds as fires from Houston to El Paso. Legends of Texas Barbecue Cookbook delivers both a practical cookbook and a guided tour of Texas barbecue lore, giving readers straightforward advice right from the pit masters themselves. Their time-honored tips, along with 85 closely guarded recipes, reveal a lip-smacking feast of smoked meats, savory side dishes, and an awesome array of mops, sauces, and rubs. Their opinions are outspoken, their stories outlandish and hilarious. Fascinating archival photography looks back over more than 100 years of barbecue history, from the first turn of the century squirrel roasts to candid shots of Lyndon Johnson chowing down on a plate of ribs. A list of the best barbecue joints and a month-by-month rundown of the most influential statewide cook-offs round out this glorious celebration of barbecue found deep in the heart of Texas.

Customer Reviews:

Too much nostalgia, not enough "low & slow" how to ..........2007-08-20

I expected a lot from this book, but it fell well short of my expectations.

The author does a fairly decent job covering BBQ from a historical standpoint, and he gives a decent overview of the main regional styles (other than just Texas), and it's liberally seasoned with nostalgic historical photos ... but nostalgia alone doesn't fill one's belly. I was expecting considerably more practical information on things like nitty gritty how-to details on meat butchery and working with the sort of smoking rigs available to most home cooks - things like bullet-shaped water smokers (ex: weber smokey mountain), drum-shaped offset dry-smokers, electric smokers, hardcore information in the type of cuts and the cooking times for each of the various types of rigs, etc.

Swing and a miss.

In any case, I give it 3 stars because the book contains some historical information I didn't already know, and it succeeded in convincing me that the author truly enjoys the subject matter - and it made me hungry too. A book on food that makes you hungry is doing something right. Props to the author for that.

Fantastic combination of BBQ history, culture and recipes.......2007-07-05

I can't speak highly enough about the book content & the writing. Robb did a great job of allowing the culture of Texas barbecue to come through. And, for anyone passionate about learning new techniques & recipes for brisket, ribs or any barbecue, buy this book!

Loved it.......2007-06-09

I'm a Texan living in CA and it made me homesick. Beautifully designed and well written. Many BBQ books are full of impossible recipes but this book seems mangeable. I love the history he explains, which I didn't know, and I'm a BBQ nut! Thoroughly recommended.

Pure BBQ spirit.......2007-05-14

Years ago I visited Texas and learned learned how delicious BBQ is.

Unfortunately there are no BBQ restaurants in Germany, so I have to cook the food for myself. With this book its no problem to cook authentic BBQ, the book tells you everything you have to know...

Fun history.......2007-04-10

I enjoyed the history as much as the recipes, although the recipes are good. Lots of cool pictures and a real flavor of downhome BBQ.

Average customer rating:

happy pet

Want to understand your dog better?

Informative and entertaining

A MUST BUY For Any Dog/Puppy Owner!

A must-read for all dog owners.

Dog Behavior: An Owner's Guide to a Happy Healthy Pet
Ian Dunbar
Manufacturer: Howell Book House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Breeds | Dogs | Animal Care & Pets | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
General | Dogs | Animal Care & Pets | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
General | Animal Care & Pets | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
General | Veterinary Medicine | Medicine | Subjects | Books
Animal Husbandry | Agricultural Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

How to Teach a New Dog Old Tricks

Before and After Getting Your Puppy: The Positive Approach to Raising a Happy, Healthy, and Well-Behaved Dog

Doctor Dunbar's Good Little Dog Book

The Other End of the Leash

The Culture Clash: A Revolutionary New Way to Understanding the Relationship Between Humans and Domestic Dogs

ASIN: 0876052367

Book Description

Dr. Ian Dunbar, renowned dog trainer and behaviorist, explains how dogs think, how dogs learn, and why they act the way they do. Dog owners who understand these issues can better train their dogs and develop a closer relationship with their pets.

Customer Reviews:

happy pet.......2007-01-19

I have yet to receive this book !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Would be difficult to review it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ann Kramer
p.o. box 1824
Wrangell, Alaska 99929

Want to understand your dog better?.......2001-06-20

Many dog behavior books seem to focus more on dog obedience/training rather than on dog 'behavior.' As the owner of 2 chihuahuas, I'm interested in dog obedience to some extent, but I've always wanted to know more about why my dogs behave a certain way. What do they really mean when they do certain things? So, I was pleasantly surprised to find this wonderful little book!

The author explains such behaviors as why dogs wag their tails... why dogs know how long to continue to view another dog as still being a puppy... how dogs develop their hierarchies... and yet, the author doesn't overgeneralize about these behaviors either. He describes the stages of a dog's development from puppy to adult, and he dispels some myths about dog intelligence and dog training.

I found the author's attitude very refreshing and I think this is another reason that I enjoyed this book so much. He genuinely likes dogs and he portrays them as the intelligent, emotional, and social creatures that they are.

Informative and entertaining.......2000-02-23

This is a very thin book, but it is just packed with insight and information. The author clearly loves dogs and understands them. My favorite thing about the book is the subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) humor that he uses to make his points. I loved his turns of phrase and his abhorence for cruelty in any of its disguised forms. It is a fact that often what we think we are training the dog to do is the opposite of what we are really teaching. Dr. Dunbar is not afraid to point this out.

A MUST BUY For Any Dog/Puppy Owner!.......2000-01-18

This is an EXCELLENT book to help you understand your dog and how to head off any behavior problems that may occur as the dog matures. I would suggest reading it BEFORE you get a puppy/dog and learn how and why it is SOOO important to properly socialize it at a very early age. Dunbar makes total sense and his recommendations have always worked with my dogs and others whom I have loaned my book to. It is fun and easy to read.

A must-read for all dog owners........1999-02-10

Ian Dunbar wrote a book called "Dog Behavior, Why Dogs Do What They Do" in 1979. He has now written a book called "Dog Behavior, An Owner's Guide To A Happy Healthy Pet". His clear, intelligent, witty writing has not changed. It is evident that he continues to learn more about dogs, people and writing clearly! If you are thinking about getting a dog or puppy, if you own a dog or puppy or you are just interested in dogs and puppies, you need to read this book.

Book Description

It is beautifully illustrated with some 200 full-color photos printed on high-quality paper that brings out their brilliance....The book...is not only a colorful and well-done reference to early and present day carousels, it is also a “how-to” manual for the would be carver....The reader will be happily enriched by the knowledge presented.”—The Woodworker’s Gazette.

Customer Reviews:

Such a Great Book on all Levels.......2006-04-12

Everything everyone has said before me is a testimony to this book.Its such a value and its such a pleasure to finally find a carving book that lets us all no..hay we really can do this..ive been so intimidated and in awe of carousel carvers and this is a book that works to let us all no..We Can.B.W.

BUY THIS BOOK! MMMM GOOD BOOK!.......2003-07-26

GREAT BOOK! Basiclly all I can say. Better than a How-To book. Its a barrage of many wonderful stories, history, and some awesome pictures of the best carvings I have seen. Keep up the good work Bruce, and BUY THIS BOOK!! EVERYONE!!!! :)

Mirror Image.......2003-06-22

If you have no other book about carousels, this is the one to have. Not only does the book illuminate the history of carousels, dispelling some common myths along the way, but the step-by-step, well illustrated process of carving a carousel is clearly explained in easy to understand terms. As Bruce's identical twin brother I can attest to the heart, mind and artistry that goes into every one of Bruce's creations. Many years ago I received a call from Bruce and he pleaded for my help. I replied that I had no knowledge or skill. Bruce persisted and taught me how to carve carousels using the same steps and techniques described in this book - several of the carousels I have carved are pictured in this book. Perhaps one of your creations will be in his next book!

Dream Weavers.......2003-01-07

Although this magnificent book is being marketed as a strictly how-to book, as a lover of carousels I attest to the fact that this book includes more history and delightful anecdotes about carousels, horses, designs and designers than any other book ever. Bruce encourages you to set your imagination free. Also, there is a step by step structure showing Bruce's one of a kind process. Even if you don't carve or don't want to start, it is still enlightening to see how this present day master carver makes lovely masterpieces for carousels and living rooms.

Book Description

More than an extremely popular decorating trend, country style is a way of life that's cozy and comfortable, casual and down-to-earth. Brimming with more than 350 breathtaking color photos that showcase the best of international country style, this invaluable decorator's guide combines the best of the old and the new. Inside, you'll find fabulous ideas for bringing the colors, patterns, and textures of country to the house and garden, from the cheery blues and yellows of Provençal fabrics and the earthy terra cottas of Italy to the floral chintzes of English armchairs and the graphic beauty of Amish quilts. See how to mix rustic furniture and antiques with comfy upholstered pieces and treasured flea market finds, and how to add architectural details such as rustic ceiling beams, stone flooring, or fireplaces. The result: a warm and welcoming home.

In The Country Style; Timeless Designs for Today's Home

Average customer rating:

In The Country Style; Timeless Designs for Today's Home
Barbara Buchholz
Manufacturer: Barnes & Noble Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 0760746257

Average customer rating:

thumbs up

"Epiphanies will always be elusive."

Good writing that keeps your attention

a new appreciation

Enjoyable stories but tends to self-promote

No Ordinary Lives: One Man's Surprising Journey into the Heart of America
David Johnson
Manufacturer: Warner Books, Incorporated
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Similar Items:

The World Almanac and Book of Facts, 2007 (World Almanac and Book of Facts)

ASIN: B0007YJ3SY

Book Description

Twenty years ago, cub re-porter David Johnson had an idea for a column: he'd pick a name at random from the telephone book and write a story on the person who answered his call. Visiting journalist Charles Kuralt overheard his plan and proclaimed it the best idea he'd ever heard-and the popular column "Everybody Has a Story" was born. Today, over 800 Americans have shared their personal stories in the pages of the Lewiston Morning Tribune, and for David Johnson, the trip of two decades has taught him lessons he never imagined. In this book, you'll meet many of the people whose perspectives changed David's life. Not only have they reminded him of life's "universal ingredients," the hopes and dreams we all share, but they've commented, each in their idiosyncratic way, on what is truly important.

Customer Reviews:

thumbs up.......2005-11-23

Thumbs up to all those ordinary people who help this book be much more than an ordinary read!

"Epiphanies will always be elusive.".......2005-08-28

When I found this little book,I thought it was a typical 'Road Book';but it wasn't.The author is a small town newspaper columnist,and who is quite happy to live the simple small town life with a job he enjoys,a family he loves,a home he and his wife created out in the country;and that is about all he really yearns for---the simple life.The newspaper that employs him has had its ups and downs,and ownership changes as is so common these days;but through the years Johnson has survived it all;if sometimes only barely; but then that is all he really wants.He is basically a writer who writes a human interest column.He has come up with a novel method of searching out his subjects--he simply picks them at random from his telephone directly.What he finds is that he has an unlimited source of interesting people to write about and all within a short distance of his home.He shows that virtually everyone,and no matter how ordinary their lives seem to be,there is always something interesting about their life experience to write about.
That is about all there is to this book.Except for one thing.A few years ago a friend recommended that I read "The Stone Diaries' by Carol Sheilds.It was a very similar book,written about ordinary people and their lives.The one big difference is that Sheilds won a Pulitzer Prize for her efforts.
I looked up her book and read the Customer Reviews and they are very mixed.Some think the book was wonderful and really deserved the prize,while others just couldn't see where it was merited.
The two books are very similar and if you like Johnston's you are sure to like Sheild's.Likewise; if you find one rather mundane ;you're likely to find the other the same.
Here is what Johnson has to say in a nutshell:
"Over the better part of two decades,these people have confirmed the notion that everyone is worthy of the front page.Moreover,they've shown me how to appreciate the simple things we already have within our grasp and the exhilaration that comes with looking ahead-like to the next person who answers a random call. Most of the answers to life's riddles hide not in the profound,but in the ordinry;not in the unusual;but in the conventional;not in the celebrity pages of a newspaper,but perhaps in the the white pages of a phone book."

Good writing that keeps your attention.......2004-08-16

If your dream evening is to sit at a stangers diner table to pry into their greatest victories and defeats without the fear of having to answer the same questions then this book is for you. Its a fascinating read into the lives of many obscure characters. I agree that Johnson's book reads as an autobiography with sideline stories of others (the title tells otherwise) but he does have an interesting story to tell and can tell it very well. I would'nt pay a lot of money for it but I would read it and pass it on to others looking for a few evenings as a dining room guest.

a new appreciation.......2002-10-23

I read this book in just two days! It's enjoyable to read with plenty of light humor, but it also touches on deeper issues like love, family, faith, and personal loss. The author relates the lives of the people he interviews with his own life, and he shows that seemingly 'ordinary' people have something important to share with others. This book gave me a new appreciation for the people I come into contact with everyday.

Enjoyable stories but tends to self-promote.......2002-08-31

I found many of the stories enjoyable but the author tends to inject his own life into too much of the work which is distracting. The book would be better served by a cursory introduction followed by the many wonderful stories of everyday people (stories that I find much more enjoyable than any Hollywood could produce). Instead the author wraps his own life into many of the stories which creates more of a story about him instead of about the people. It would be better to get this book from the Library and try to skip over the self-promotion.

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books